Ishfaq-ul-Hassan
SRINAGAR: Come New Year, the world-famous resort of Pahalgam will drench in celebrations.
Music, cultural bonanza, ethnic foods et al are lined up to entertain tourists on New Year.
Bollywood singer Rohanpreet Singh will hold a special concert in Pahalgam to entertain New Year revelers in Pahalgam.
“Sat Sri Akal Kashmir! I am coming to the valley. I will meet you in Pahalgam on December 31 to enjoy the winter carnival and celebrate New Year,” Singh said in a short video.
It is for the first time that the tourism department has shifted gears and decided to celebrate New Year in Pahalgam.
“Usually Pahalgam was considered a summer destination. But it is equally beautiful in winter. We have decided to celebrate New Year in Pahalgam as well. Winter carnival is already on in Gulmarg as well as Pahalgam. On New Year, there are several events planned for the tourists,” Sarmad Hafiz, Tourism Secretary, told The Kashmir Monitor.
Kashmir is bursting at the seams as tourists are making a beeline this winter. Official figures reveal that over 5.13 lakh tourists including 1317 foreigners have visited Kashmir till November end. The highest arrivals were witnessed last month when 1.27 lakh tourists visited Kashmir. Officials said that December has equally witnessed increased arrivals.
“I will not go into numbers, but we have had good footfalls this season. For the first time, we have kept all tourist destinations open during winters. Our Sonamarg is open. Doodh Pathri has been thrown open. Yusmarg will also be opened. We want tourists to visit these places during winters,” said Sarmad.
It is Pahalgam that stands out this winter. The entire resort has been decked up to welcome tourists. “I was told that there is huge booking this season. We have decorated Pahalgam like a bride. Hoteliers too have lit up their property,” he said.
Besides musical concerts, the government is showcasing handicrafts and ethnic food of Kashmir. “We will showcase Hukhsun (dry vegetable dishes) this year. This cuisine is unique to Kashmir. It will be an add-on,” said Sarmad.
On August 2, 2019, Kashmir became a no-zone for tourists when the government issued an advisory for tourists citing a threat to Amarnath Yatra. Thousands of the tourists curtailed their visit, while those aspiring to visit the valley canceled their tours. The government lifted the advisory on October 10 that year after a gap of more than two months.
In fact, Kashmir has been witnessing a persistent drop in tourist footfall for the last few years. Figures reveal that 12, 745, 96 tourists visited the valley in 2016, which dropped to 11, 960, 67 in 2017. In 2018, 7, 85,173 tourists visited the valley.
“We have had two back-to-back lockdowns. It caused huge financial loss. If tourist footfall is any indicator, we hope to harvest the dividends this summer too,” said a tour operator.
