TOURISTS are heading to Kashmir in droves to celebrate Christmas and welcome the New Year, with hotels at the famous destinations in the valley sold out for the weeks ahead, especially in anticipation of snowfall. Officials said tourists are making a beeline to Kashmir, especially to the famous ski resort of Gulmarg, in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, and Pahalgam, in south Kashmir’s Anantnag. Gulmarg, the tourist destination at an altitude of 8,000 feet, 50 km north of summer capital Srinagar, is also known as the ‘Switzerland of Asia’.

 

The tourism department has lined up various activities to enrich the experience of New Year revellers as a number of programmes have been planned for the New Year’s Eve. Describing it as a positive indication, Tourism Secretary Syed Abid Rasheed Shah said he was confident that the winter months would be successful for Kashmir’s tourism. “The way the numbers and trends are coming, with both domestic as well as foreign tourists, my expectation is that the winters will be a grand success. Destinations like Gulmarg and Pahalgam are already sold out. Gulmarg is totally sold out for Christmas and the New Year’s Eve. This is a very positive indication,” he said. Shah said warm hospitality of the people of Kashmir and all the stakeholders have played an important role in reviving tourism. The tourism department has lined up various activities to enrich the experience of New Year revellers as a number of programmes have been planned for the New Year’s Eve, including a musical evening, a firecracker show, night skiing, and torch skiing.