Srinagar, July 30 -- National Conference (NC) president Dr Farooq Abdullah, while reacting to lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha's remarks that more than 5,000 "illegal hotels" had come up in Jammu and Kashmir, said that the growth of hotels means that people are opting for self employment while augmenting the tourism infrastructure in the region. "We should be thankful that those hotels have come up. Tourists come here. Where else would they stay? I have seen the time when tourists had to sleep in taxis, cars and even on the roads. There was no accommodation for them. Be thankful that people are now standing on their own feet instead of depending on government jobs," he said. Sinha, while addressing the Ethical Tourism Conclave organised by the Tourist Trade Interest Guild, J&K at Sheri Kashmir International Convention Centre on Monday evening, had said that in the past six years, over 5000 hotels have come up in Kashmir with 90% of them illegal. "I have been here for six years and have experienced this journey keenly. It is true that tourist arrivals have increased greatly and the basic reason for that is the confidence among people of the country that J&K is safe," he said. He said that during these years investment has also increased in the tourism sector of Jammu and Kashmir, so has been the growth in employment in various sectors of tourism. "According to statistics between 2021 and 2025-26, over 5000 hotels were constructed in Kashmir valley and this is (also)true that 90% of them are illegal, only 10% are legal. But 5,000 have been constructed," Sinha had said....