Winter tourism

Early snowfall including the untimely snowfall in the recent past has added to the hopes of all the stakeholders of the tourism industry in Kashmir valley that the winter tourism will be the season for them to come out from the shadows of having little tourism.

In the past so many years the tourism industry has suffered and most of the time either due to the clampdown of the government or due to the lockdowns imposed during the two covid waves, the tourism industry have suffered and the thousands of the families connected with the trade have a visible impact on their socio-economic conditions.

The Government of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the administration connected with tourism and sports have been very busy restoring tourism and the sports activities at the earliest.

In this direction recently in a high level meeting the government has directed setting up, immediate operationalisation of ski shops, and other equipment.

The government is also mulling to set up Ice Parks at Gulmarg and Sonamarg after the snowfall so that they become the attractions of winter tourism at these places.

This would be the first season for the meadow of Sonamarg to remain open during the winters as the government has been able to keep the tunnel operational during the winter months up to the Sonamarg.

It would be the first tourist season for the winters at Sonamarg especially after the snow and there is a lot of hope among the hoteliers and other people connected with the trade that this winter season will bring a lot of tourists to this area also on the pattern of Gulmarg.