Israel-Iran war likely to hit tourism sector in Punjab

The escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict with the entry of the US is likely to affect the Indian tourism sector, especially that of Punjab, according to experts.

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Amritsar receives a good flow of tourists from Israel, Iran, France, Spain and Italy in July and August as summer vacations commence in these countries in the first week of July.

The development has come as the tourism sector here has been slowly recovering from the setback suffered on account of the India-Pakistan border conflict in May.

Gurinder Singh Johal, chairman of the Punjab chapter of the Indian Association of Tour Operators, said, “The flow of tourists originating from these countries is keenly awaited for their high-paying capacity.”

According to aviation experts, conflicts in different parts of the world have forced the airlines to adopt longer routes, causing the air tariffs to go up. This will prompt several tourists to cut down on their travel plans.

A sizeable number of Iranians in their small vanity vans enter India from the Attari-Wagah joint check-post for sightseeing.

Balkar Singh, a taxi operator, said their hopes rested on the tourist inflow starting in the monsoon season.