{"id":10884,"date":"2026-01-29T20:17:37","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T20:17:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/?p=10884"},"modified":"2026-01-29T20:17:37","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T20:17:37","slug":"valleys-hospitality-sector-hums-back-to-life-as-snowfall-revives-kashmir-tourism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/2026\/01\/29\/valleys-hospitality-sector-hums-back-to-life-as-snowfall-revives-kashmir-tourism\/","title":{"rendered":"Valley\u2019s hospitality sector hums back to life as snowfall revives Kashmir tourism"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hotels, houseboats, ski slopes buzz with life again<\/strong><\/p>\n

Director hails all stakeholders for \u2018making tourism breathe again\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Srinagar, Jan 29: The first blanket of snow this winter not just covered Kashmir\u2019s peaks but has dusted off months of anxiety for those whose livelihoods depend on the rhythm of arriving footsteps and clinking tea-cups.<\/p>\n

From Dal Lake to the slopes of Gulmarg, and Pahalgam to Sonamarg, the Valley\u2019s tourism heartbeat is gaining momentum once again.<\/p>\n

Qamar Sajad, the Director of Tourism Kashmir, speaking to the news agency\u2014Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said the turnaround of visitors reflects not just nature\u2019s grace but the teamwork behind the industry\u2019s revival.<\/p>\n

“We are witnessing a steady rise in tourist footfall, and that is because everyone, from shikara operators to hoteliers and from the government to ground-level workers, has played their part,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cThis is not just about snowfall, but about the spirit of people who have worked tirelessly to make Kashmir shine. The government and stakeholders together have made tourism breathe again.\u201d<\/p>\n

The revival is visible everywhere.<\/p>\n

On Dal Lake, the reflection of houseboats shines again as Manzoor Pakhtoon, Chairman of the Houseboat Owners Association Kashmir, said they are getting back on track.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are getting queries again,\u201d said Pakhtoon with a smile. \u201cAfter the recent snowfall and New Year rush, tourists have started showing interest. We expect a good summer season ahead if this continues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Across the Valley, the optimism echoes.<\/p>\n

Mushtaq Chaya, Chairman of the J&K Hoteliers Club, said the hospitality sector is regaining its lost confidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver 70 per cent of hotels in Gulmarg and nearly 75 per cent in Sonamarg are booked. The snowfall has built trust again people are coming back in numbers,\u201d Chaya said.\u00a0\u201cVisitors are focusing on Gulmarg, enjoying skiing and the snow rides. But we hope the government opens more destinations soon, so the benefits spread evenly.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Gulmarg, the hum of joy is unmistakable.<\/p>\n

Bilal Ahmad, who runs a hotel, said the rush has surpassed expectations. \u201cWe have been full for two weeks now. Guests are waking up to the sight of snow-covered pine trees and calling it a dream. Many are extending their stays, and some do not want to leave at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Pahalgam, too, winter has found its admirers.<\/p>\n

Adil Shah, who manages a resort, said tourists are rediscovering the calm of the snow-fed Lidder valley.\u00a0\u201cJanuary is usually quiet for us, but this time, the snowfall changed everything. Families and people are slowly coming back. For us, that is the sound of life returning.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Sonamarg, the air is also seeing winter visitors this year.<\/p>\n

Nissar Ahmad, a hotel owner, said, \u201cWe used to wait for summer to see numbers. But now, our rooms are 70 per cent booked, and tourists are thrilled by the white landscape. They are calling it their best winter trip ever.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the Sonamarg Tunnel has become a point of attraction for visitors as they are coming in good numbers to see it.<\/p>\n

The people of Kashmir are once again welcoming strangers as friends with offering warmth, kahwa and stories. \u201cWhen the snow returns, hope returns with it,\u201d said an elderly shikara riding man with a smile. (KNO)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hotels, houseboats, ski slopes buzz with life again Director hails all stakeholders for \u2018making tourism breathe again\u2019 Srinagar, Jan 29: The first blanket of snow this winter not just covered Kashmir\u2019s peaks but has dusted off months of anxiety for those whose livelihoods depend on the rhythm of arriving footsteps and clinking tea-cups. From Dal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10885,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-news","category-kt-front"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10884"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10886,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10884\/revisions\/10886"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}