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Valley’s winter holiday spots drawing tourists in droves
Tourism players say that the arrival of tourists this season started from November 15 and has gained pace with hopes for good bookings on Christmas and New Year in the ski resort of Gulmarg in North Kashmir and Pahalgam in South Kashmir
The winter tourist footfall has started to increase earlier this year in Kashmir than last year as the authorities started various events and opened more destinations.
Tourism players say that the arrival of tourists this season started from November 15 and has gained pace with hopes for good bookings on Christmas and New Year in the ski resort of Gulmarg in North Kashmir and Pahalgam in South Kashmir.
“Tourism is doing wonderfully well. Gulmarg is being prepared for winter. Bookings are good,” said Akib Chaya, president of J&K Hoteliers Club, Gulmarg chapter.
“This year saw good arrival of tourists all over the country including in the lean month of November. People from northern and southern sides across the country came and this year November was good owing to Diwali. Now we are waiting for snowfall,” he added.
The authorities have started many events as a precursor to the Christmas and New Year and have also opened offbeat destinations besides deciding to keep the central tourist resort of Sonamarg open in winter which witnesses heavy snowfall.
Last week, the tourism department held a musical festival at Gulmarg’s Kongdoori at a height of 2,650 m (8,694 ft) which is approachable through Asia’s one of the highest cable car called Gondola. “Winter tourism is going well this year,” said tourism director Raja Yaqoob Farooq. “Christmas and New Year are coming and we are planning many events throughout the valley,” he said.
“We will celebrate New Year in Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Doodhpathri and Sonamarg and in some offbeat destinations. Gulmarg will witness skiing, skating and winter sports,” he said.
He said that the tourist number this year has already crossed the figures of last year. “Last year we had roughly 19 million arrivals and this year we have crossed those figures in November already. We are crossing the 20 million tourist number this year in J&K,” he added.
The numbers include the Amaranth Yatra and Vaishno Devi shrine pilgrims.
Buoyed by the increase in international tourist footfall post-G20 summit in summer, the tourism players are hopeful of an equally increasing number of foreign skiers.
“Tourism is moving towards betterment in Kashmir…We are waiting for the heavy snowfall on which skiing happens. If we go by the past few years, winter has performed better, particularly after Khelo India sports activities. Earlier we would receive domestic skiers, this year; our expectation is of an increase in foreigners, particularly skiers. G20 summit helped increase in foreign tourist inflow,” said hotelier Mukhtar Shah.
Abdul Rashid, general secretary of houseboat owners association on Dal Lake in Srinagar, said that tourists came early this winter after break in September. “There is disappointment owing to less snowfall. Nevertheless, they are enjoying the cold,” he said.
“Tourists from countries like Singapore and Malaysians are coming in big groups and booking bulk rooms,” Rashid added.
The government is aiming to keep the picturesque summer tourist resort of Sonamarg in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal, which receives heavy snowfall, open during winter much like the ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir. The action plan for keeping Sonamarg open during winter has been devised besides the arrangements being put in place for ensuring sufficient facilities for the tourists.
The Kashmir tourism director Raja Yaqoob Farooq said that J&K has selected 75 offbeat tourist destinations this year including Bungus, Keran, Tangdhar, Gurez , Dawar along the Line of Control in North Kashmir. “In Keran and Bungus there were first-of-its-kind events earlier this year. Bungus is now on the tourist map in a big way and in the coming time we will promote these offbeat destinations so that tourists visit these places apart from our regular tourist destinations like Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Doodhpathri and Sonamarg,” he said.
He attributed the improved scenario to peace in Kashmir and improvement in law and order. “It has also boosted the confidence of tourists. After the removal of 370, J&K is peaceful and is ready to welcome more and more tourists as the 20 million number proves,” he added.
