Jammu & Kashmir reopen to tourists arriving by air, subject to strict safety guidelines

Jammu and Kashmir reopened to tourists on Tuesday, allowing only air travellers to enter the territory. The decision to partially reopen the region was taken by the government, which stated that safety guidelines will have to be strictly followed by the tourists.

“There will be partial opening of the tourism sector for visitors from outside J&K, limited to tourists arriving by air only,” the government said in a statement. “In the view of the COVID related measures, it was imperative to put in place a protocol to be followed by the tourists as well authorities engaged in the hospitality sector.”

The following are the detailed guidelines:

1) All the tourists must have confirmed hotel bookings for the duration of their stay. It is mandatory to pre-book accommodation online in hotels, houseboats or guesthouses. The proof of this will be checked at the time of arrival.

2) All tourists must have their return tickets too.

3) Upon arrival, all the tourists will have to undergo RT-PCR testing (mandatory). And until the test result shows a negative for COVID-19, tourists will stay put in their hotel rooms and shall not be permitted to move out. Tourists will have to sign a form at the airport. Test results arrive in 24 hours (except in special circumstances).

4) Even if a tourist comes with COVID negative report, he/she will still have to take the RT-PCR test on arrival at the airport. However, they will not be required to remain isolated in hotels.

5) If a tourist tests positive for the virus, he/she will be immediately sent for treatment to a medical facility as per the protocol.

6) Taxis or transport service have to be pre-booked through hotel or travel agencies.

7) Tourists above the age of 65 should avoid travelling.

8) Only tourists coming by air shall be permitted.

9) Aarogya Setu app is a must and all tourists should have it installed on their phones and shall be checked for ‘safe’ status at the time of arrival.