"Tourism potential" a State of Jammu and Kashmir Travel Page by Tenzin

We paid over S$2000 for a 9 day tour to Kashmir, Jaipur and Agra. A similar package to say China would cost less than half that amount. The key issue I believe is the cost of airfare.

Although China and India are about equidistant from Singapore, India has yet to liberalise her air traffic such that tourism can be boosted to generate income for her people.

Despite the constant 'Incredible India' advertisement we see all around us, most of us I feel will still put India as a 3rd tier tourist destination until the travelling cost becomes more competitive. Thailand and China had benefited tremendously from their open skies policy and the spinoff industries in both the hotel and commercial industries are considerable.

Such a pity though when India has so much to offer to any visitor but the barriers are so high. Likewise for Australia, Singapore Airlines has lobbied for the rights to fly to the US via Australia for over 10 years without success. With greater competition fares will drop and more US tourists will visit Australia.

Unfortunately short term political interest and powerful lobbies from their respective airlines continue to shortchange the majority of their own people in the name of protectionism.

Until then, travellors like us will happily continue to make repeated trips to China and Thailand.

Ever since a lovelorn suicide took place over there by jumping off the tower, climbing the tower is now banned. Diehard romantics will naturally gravitate towards places of beauty and melancholy (preferably). The San Francisco Golden Gate bridge comes to mind and of course where else better to declare your true love than the greatest monument dedicated to the death of your beloved - the Taj Mahal?

It was only a matter of time before such a tragedy happens and it did.

A testimony to the genius of Jai Singh who built the largest sundial in the world with an accuracy of up to 2 seconds in the 18th century.