For the past six months, the road that leads to Neelum Valley’s gorgeous Rati Gali Lake has been closed, greatly inconveniencing visitors and having an impact on local tourism. The well-liked tourist site is inaccessible due to multiple spots of blockage along the 16-kilometer road connecting Dowarian to the Rati Gali Lake Base Camp.
Renowned for its breathtaking scenery, Rati Gali Lake welcomes millions of tourists every year. Travelers and locally owned companies that depend on tourism are getting frustrated because the roads department has not started maintenance work to reopen the route despite the large influx of tourists.
Locals have taken issues into their own hands and, with community support, have started road maintenance projects. This neighborhood-based initiative emphasizes the community’s dependence on tourism and their resolve to reopen access to it.
The prolonged road closure has sparked worries for the local economy and the overall Neelum Valley tourism experience. Rati Gali Lake is a major tourist destination in the area; therefore, its accessibility could cause a decline in visitors, which would affect the hospitality and service sectors in the area.
