Paradise calling: Come New Year, tourists make beeline to Kashmir; all hotels sold out

Srinagar: Paradise is again bursting at the seams with tourists.

 Thanks to Christmas and New Year, all hotels are sold out in Kashmir. Tourism stakeholders said all the hotels in Gulmarg and Pahalgam particularly are fully booked till early next year.

“Tourist flow has increased for the last two weeks. In Gulmarg and Pahalgam, the hotels are recording 100 percent booking for Christmas and New Year,” said Farooq Ahmad Kuthoo,  President, Travel Agents Association of Kashmir.

 The recent snowfall has acted as the icing on the cake. “Last year we also witnessed a good rush of tourists during the winter season. Kashmir always remains packed with tourists on the occasion of Christmas and New Year. It is an indication that there will be good footfall in winter,” Kuthoo said.

He said Srinagar is equally witnessing a spike in the bookings for Christmas and New Year.

Sensing an opportunity, hoteliers have announced special packages to lure tourists to Kashmir on Christmas and New Year.

 “Usually, Maharashtrians and south Indians visit Kashmir on the eve of Christmas and New Year. We have introduced special packages for tourists, which include a gala dinner and other recreation. We hope to see a good flow of foreigners. Last two years, COVID-19 enforced suspension of international tourism and now international borders are open,” said Abdul Wahid Malik, a hotelier.

 The tourism department has also planned Christmas and New Year festivals in Gulmarg and Pahalgam to enthrall tourists.

 “We will be having winter carnival on December 25 and New Year in Gulmarg and Pahalgam. Events will be also held in Doodhpathir and Yusmarg. So far we held a houseboat festival and rock climbing. We are equally focusing on cross-country skiing events,” said Director tourism Faz Lul Haseeb.

More than 2.2 million tourists including Amarnath Yatris visited Kashmir till November this year. It is for the first time that tourists have arrived in all four seasons. Earlier bulk of the tourists used to visit during summer to beat the heat.