More than 150000 tourists have visited to the garden so far since its opening on March 27 this year.
“The garden will be closed to the visitors officially on 28 April” Javed Ahmad Shah District Floriculture Officer, who is looking after the garden told Rising Kashmir.
Shah said that 140000 tourists visited to the garden last year, “This year we are expecting the visitors rush would reach to the 160000 mark.”
The garden which remains open for a month to the visitors has generated the direct revenue of Rs 56 Lakh to the government so far since it was thrown open on March 27.
Shah said that the garden also registered highest ever ten per cent foreign tourist arrivals this year.
“Among the 150000 visitors ten percent are foreign tourists which is highest ever and a great signal and development for the Kashmir tourism,” he said.
“The foreign tourist arrivals to the garden has been below to the 3 per cent in last five seasons but this year we witnessed a great increase in it,” he added
Shah said that the department has witnessed about 4000 tourist arrivals to the garden normally while as it jumped up to 10000 on Sundays.
“We have earned Rs 56 lakh direct revenue this year so far through ticketing, outsourcing of ticketing, food pointing and photography,” he said.
He said that garden has been an added attraction to the tourists and has advanced the season for them.
“February and March months have been always off season for the tourism sector here but since the inauguration of tulip garden in 2008 it has advanced the season and has become a prime location for the tourists in sparing season,” he said.
He said that more than 10 lakh tulip bulbs of 102 varieties were planted by the floriculture department this year to attract more and more tourists to the garden.
(Rising Kashmir)
