‘Despite rain disruptions, authorities expect surge; foreign tourists begin to trickle in; figure based on offline ticket sales’

Rehan Qayoom Mir

Srinagar, Mar 23: The Tulip Garden in Srinagar, Asia’s largest, recorded a footfall of around 57,000 visitors in its first week of opening, officials said on Monday.

Assistant Floriculture Officer In-charge Tulip Garden Srinagar, Imran Ahmad, informed the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the figure pertains to offline ticket sales recorded during the initial week.

“The footfall in the first week is around 57,000, and this is based on offline ticketing,” he said, adding that the online ticketing data is currently not accessible.

The officer said the online figures will be compiled and made available after the garden closes for the season. “The online ticketing data can be accessed later and will be available once the garden is closed,” he added.

Ahmad said the visitors include a mix of locals, domestic tourists and foreigners. “There has been a good mix of locals and tourists. Around 200 to 300 foreign tourists have also visited the garden in the first week,” he said.

He, however, noted that intermittent rainfall during the opening week slightly impacted visitor turnout. Despite this, officials are hopeful of an increase in footfall in the coming days. “We are expecting more visitors in the coming days,” he said.

Spread over the foothills of the Zabarwan range overlooking Dal Lake, the garden this year showcases around 70–75 varieties of tulips, along with other ornamental flowers. Opened annually during the spring season, it remains a key highlight of Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism calendar and attracts thousands of visitors from across India and abroad—(KNO)