Srinagar, Jan 27: A fresh spell of snowfall has transformed Kashmir into a winter wonderland, triggering a renewed influx of tourists and boosting morale across the tourism and hospitality sectors.
The tourists are braving chill to capture the snowy spectacle on their cameras from the slopes of Gulmarg to the pine valleys of Pahalgam and the beautiful waters of Dal Lake in Srinagar.
“We came all the way from Delhi hoping to see snow and the timing couldn’t have been better,” said Rahul Malhotra, a tourist enjoying the snowfall.
“The whole Valley looks magical, like a beautiful picture coming alive,” he added.
The fresh snowfall and the heaviest so far this winter blanketed most parts of Kashmir, including Srinagar, on Tuesday much to the delight of tourists and locals alike.
Travel operators told KNO the spell has reignited winter tourism after a quiet start to January. “Tourism is clearly picking up pace now,” said Rouf Tramboo, President of the Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK).
He said they are witnessing a surge in arrivals across destinations. “Most hotels and tour packages for the next few weeks are already booked. Fresh snowfall has given the much-needed boost to winter tourism,” he said, urging the government to reopen closed tourist destinations.
Echoing the sentiment, Tawqeer Ahmad, owner of Connect Kashmir Mobile and Travel Services, said inquiries and bookings have surged sharply since last week. “We have been getting non-stop calls since the snowfall began. Gulmarg and Pahalgam have heavy bookings for the coming weekend and even Srinagar houseboats are receiving a large number of inquiries,” he told KNO.
Locals associated with tourism say the revival comes as a relief after weeks of unusually dry weather. “Business was down earlier this month, but this snow has changed everything,” said Bilal Ahmad, who runs a cafe near Dal Lake.
“Tourists are back and so is the buzz we were missing.”—(KNO)
