Tulip Garden Blooms Face Visitor Drought Amid Sharp Decline

The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden in Kashmir, recorded a significant drop in visitors this year, with numbers falling by over 50%. The garden, which saw its peak in 2022 with 8.55 lakh visitors, hosted only 3.90 lakh in 2023, affected by early blooms and tourism concerns.

The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, Asia's largest, experienced a drastic decline in visitor numbers, officials announced Friday. Visitor numbers plunged over 50%, a stark contrast to last year's record high of 8.55 lakh.

This year, the garden saw only 3.90 lakh visitors, including 1,222 foreigners and 2.89 lakh domestic tourists. The drop in numbers comes despite optimistic early opening days due to early blooms from rising temperatures.

Originally opened in 2008 to attract tourists in spring, the garden features over 70 tulip varieties and had ramped up its visual appeal. Reasons for this year's decline include overlaps with anticipated tourist seasons and reminiscences of past cancellations like the Pahalgam attack.

(With inputs from agencies.)