: Over two years since Covid-19 struck, bringing the world to a halt, Punjab’s most popular tourist destination Amritsar is again witnessing arrival of foreign tourists, who are seen frolicking on the streets of the heritage city, raising hopes of a big footfall of visitors in the coming months and revival of tourism here.
Thanks to many flights being operational to and from Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport here, foreign tourists have been arriving in the city to visit the supreme Sikh shrine Sri Harmandar Sahib, also called as the Golden Temple, Heritage Street, Jallianwala Bagh and India-Pakistan Partition Museum along with other attractions.
At Jallianwala Bagh, which is a national monument in memory of Indians massacred by British soldiers on April 13, 1919, the domestic tourists could be seen taking selfies with the foreign tourists.
Before the pandemic, the foreign tourists usually visited Amritsar during the winter season, but this time, they are visiting the city during summer, though in less numbers.
“Going by the start of these tourists arriving here, we expect their big footfall during the season, which starts from mid-September to February,” said Mandeep Kaur, tourist officer in Amritsar.
According to Kultar Singh, manager of Sri Guru Ram Das Niwas (sarai), “the foreign tourists started arriving at the end of June. Average four-five tourists come to stay at the sarai daily. Separate ward of the sarai for the foreign tourists remained empty for two and half years.”
{{/usCountry}}According to Kultar Singh, manager of Sri Guru Ram Das Niwas (sarai), “the foreign tourists started arriving at the end of June. Average four-five tourists come to stay at the sarai daily. Separate ward of the sarai for the foreign tourists remained empty for two and half years.”
{{/usCountry}}Sri Guru Ram Das Niwas is the oldest sarai of the Golden Temple and many foreign tourists love to stay here and enjoy its traditional Sikh atmosphere.
Rajwinder Kaur, manager of the India-Pakistan Partition Museum, said, “this is for the first time that the foreign tourists are coming in the summer season. As normalcy has returned since the Covid-19 struck, they are visiting tourist destinations without being bothered about the weather.”
“An average of 10-15 tourists visit the museum daily. Though it is much smaller than the number (average 400 daily) seen in normal days during peak season, this is a ray of hope emerging for revival of tourism in the city,” she said.