SRINAGAR: Gulmarg, the picturesque hill station in Kashmir, has experienced a significant influx of tourists, recording a staggering 20,000 arrivals in just six days. The surge was witnessed following the end of a prolonged dry spell that had impacted the tourist destination.

Gulmarg, hailed as the winter wonderland, nestled in the Pir Panjal range in Kashmir is renowned for its breathtaking snow-covered meadows and world-class skiing facilities.

With the recent snowfall transforming the destination into a picture-perfect landscape, visitors started classic winter activities here. The delighted tourists are seen immersing themselves in the magic of snow, with a few creating snowmen and engaging in cheerful snowball fights.

A top official in the tourism department, Gulmarg, sharing the data with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that the destination witnessed a staggering influx of 19,532 tourists within just six days following the end of the prolonged dry spell. This notable surge includes 15,086 domestic visitors, 4,290 locals, and 156 foreigners.

“The charming landscape of Gulmarg, adorned with a fresh blanket of snow after the extended dry spell, has proven to be a magnet for tourists seeking winter experiences and snow-related activities,” he said.

Local businesses, including hotels, restaurants and adventure sports operators, are experiencing a boost in demand as visitors flock to explore the scenic beauty and engage in various winter sports offered in the region.

Speaking to KNO, Tariq Ahmed, Gulmarg Guide Association President, said the losses incurred during the dry spell are irreplaceable; however, the significant increase in tourist rush, coupled with a 20-30% surge in bookings brings a ray of hope to Gulmarg's tourism sector.

“With more tourists showing interest and bookings on the rise, we're hopeful and looking forward to better days ahead,” he said.

Earlier, the association said the industry faced a substantial 60 percent decline in bookings during the period of dry spell.

Similarly, Zahoor Ahmed Wani, President of the All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) Association, said that with the recent snowfall, their businesses have seen a significant boost, experiencing a notable 25 percent increase. “We anticipate this positive trend to continue and we're optimistic that it may rise up to 50 percent by the 15th of this month,” he said.

Wani said that during the dry spell in November, December and January, their businesses were struggling, with only a meagre 10 percent of the usual activity.

A tour operator based in Baramulla said, "The recent snowfall has reignited the interest of travellers and we are delighted to see a surge in reservations as visitors eagerly embrace the magical winter experiences Gulmarg has to offer."

Tufail Ahmed, another tour operator, said the recent snowfall has been a game-changer for them. "Travellers who hesitated due to the dry spell are now excitedly confirming their bookings. The winter wonderland is back in action," he said, adding that their cellphones are ringing off the hook with inquiries and rebookings.

Meanwhile, skiers, who eagerly awaited the transformation of the famous ski resort, expressed happiness and satisfaction as the recent snowfall covered Gulmarg's slopes in a pristine white blanket. The skiers from various parts of the country are eagerly waiting to carve through the freshly powdered terrain of the region.

“Gulmarg is back in action and so are we,” a group of skiers, who were unable to contain their excitement, expressed their happiness.

According to Waseem Ahmed, a ski trainer, “Skiing down these slopes is not just a sport, but a deep connection with nature and right now, nature is at its most beautiful here. As skiers, we are thrilled to be back on these mountains, enjoying the pure delight of skiing in Gulmarg.”

Farhat Naik, a snowboarding instructor said, “My bookings for December and January were unfortunately cancelled due to the dry spell; however, with the recent fresh snowfall in Gulmarg, there's been a significant increase in bookings. The transformation is truly remarkable, and I'm excited to welcome eager learners back to the slopes.”

He said they have already lost at least 40 days to the dry spell, a period that can't be conquered or regained. “But we are ready to make the most of the remaining season and provide our learners with the best skiing experience,” he said.

Aamir Syed, another skier, said “The snowfall has not only covered the slopes but also our hearts with joy.”

Similarly, a seasoned sledger, Abid Hussain said the snowfall after the dry spell is more than just a white carpet. “It is our lifeline as it brought a sense of relief and a promise of survival to us. For sledge owners like us, the snowfall is akin to a rebirth. It brings back the thrill of our businesses and infuses life into Gulmarg's winter economy,” he said. (KNO)

SRINAGAR: Police said the accident took place at about 3:30pm near Yaudoo Modh at Zojila when a Sumo vehicle bearing registration number JK04C 5801 on way from Kargil towards Srinagar skidded off the road and felt into a deep gorge along the Srinagar- Leh highway resulting in the death of four tourists and the driver.

"Apparently the driver lost control in a sharp turn due to over speed and slippery road," they said

The four dead tourists have been identified as Anil R, 33; Sudheesh Kumar, 33; Vignesh S, 24 and 28-year-old Rahul K - all residents of district Nedungode Chittur Pallackad in Kerala. The driver of the vehicle identified as Ajaz Ahmed Awan, a resident of Kangan Ganderbal also died in the accident.

The three injured tourists from Kerala were identified as Manoj M, Rajesh K and Arun K. The condition of Manoj, who is admitted at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science in Srinagar is stated to be critical.

Soon after the accident senior police and security officers rushed to the spot. (UNI)

Addressing a gathering at Charar-e-Sharief in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district, he said that peace will return to Kashmir through the path of tourism only.

The LG said if religious tourism increases in Kashmir, a large number of people will visit here from all across the world.

“I had often said that development takes place when there is peace. Without peace there is no possibility of development anywhere”, he said.

Sinha said that he feels that people have come out of the turmoil and now markets remain open throughout the 365 days of the year and children are going to their schools and colleges regularly.

He said 1.27 crore tourists have visited Jammu and Kashmir this year so far. When more tourists will visit here the economy will increase.

The LG said the economy is much better today than before.

Taking to micro-blogging twitter handle, the LG office quoting Sinha said “feeling blessed to have visited Charar-e-Sharief & prayed for the wellbeing of our citizens. Sufi saint Shaikh-Ul-Aalam, also known as Nund Rishi's life is the best example of India's unity in diversity.

His teachings of brotherhood, love, harmony continue to inspire the world”.

He said had a productive discussion with public representatives & local residents on harnessing the tourism potential and giving a boost to spiritual tourism at Charar-e-Sharief.

Extensive deliberation was also held on infrastructure and modalities to address the immediate requirements.

Administration is committed to establish the branch of Shaikh-Ul-Aalam Centre for Multi-disciplinary Studies of University of Kashmir at Charar-e-Sharief, he added.

“It will spread his ideas & ideals of humanism, respect to all spiritual streams & motivate people to march towards the bright future, dedicate themselves for peace & development and to unlock the precious treasure house of our cultural heritage”, the LG said in another tweet.

He said on demands of restoration of Khanqah, directed the tourism department to work in close coordination with experts of NIT, analyse the detailed design, architectural drawings & restore the revered structure to its original glory.

The construction work on utilities was put on hold due to Hon'ble Court's order which has been vacated & the work will be completed soon. All other important works will be taken on priority, Sinha added. (UNI)

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday said to have rescued 250 tourists in north Kashmir's Baramulla district.

250 tourists who went for Gondola ride to Gondola Phase II Affarwat area of Gulmarg and while on their return to Gondola base, the tourists got stuck there due to technical glitches in the cable car operations, a police spokesperson said in a statement issued to GNS.

Acting upon this, police rescue teams of PS Gulmarg led by SHO PS Gulmarg Inspector Irshad Ahmad with the assistance of staff of Gondola Car Corporation swung into action and after strenuous over night efforts, they rescued the stranded tourists and brought them back to Gulmarg base safely, reads the statement.

The tourists expressed their gratitude towards the Police for timely help, reads the statement further. (GNS)

SRINAGAR: National Conference (NC) has questioned the government’s claim that

more than 1.60 crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir in 2022 and termed it a “propaganda”

The NC was apparently reacting to the claim made by the government during the third Tourism G20 Working Group where they said they hosted over 18 million tourists last year, which was unparalleled since Independence.

NC said it takes a little bit of analysis to make sense of these numbers.

“The government has suddenly come up with this claim that for the first time since Independence some 1.60 crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir. We have been in the government and never able to get more than 14-15, maybe 16 lakh, tourists in a year. What the hell did we do wrong!?,” the NC tweeted

“Also, where do these tourists stay? Because we haven’t seen any new hotel, new accommodations. Yes, some people have converted their houses into guest houses and home stays. So where did these 1.6 crore tourists stay?,” the party added.
“But then, when we start looking at the numbers, we realise that actually all the government has done is reverse a previous decision, which is that the previous governments didn’t count yatris [pilgrims] as tourists. Hardly any yatris actually perform the activity of a tourist. Now the government has started to count Yatris as tourists too, and hence the inflated number! Easy to juggle with the numbers when you change the entire methodology!,” NC said.

On Tuesday, J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha said a record number of 18 million tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir in the last year and the tourism sector made a 7 percent contribution to the Gross Domestic Product. (UNI)

SRINAGAR: Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip garden, located on the foothills of Zabarwan mountain range, turned out to be a major tourist attraction in Kashmir this year with over 3.7 lac visitors from far and wide thronging the garden to enjoy the diverse hues of nature at display.

The Tulip garden spanning over an area of 30 hectares (74 acres) has on a year-to-year basis pulled record number of visitors from all across be it the local, the national or the foreigners. 

The figures, available with GNS, suggest that a total of 377201 tourists of which 315266 included domestic, 3259 foreigners and 58676 locals visited the garden over a period of 33 days – after thrown open to visitors on March 19,2023 upto April 20, 2023.

As per an official, the footfall this season was the highest ever. “We had 3.6 lakh tourists visiting the garden last year and this year it saw an increase making it the highest ever footfall in the history of this garden”, the official told GNS adding the period of tulip bloom this season lasted for 33 days, as compared to last year’s 27 day period, largely due to  mild weather conditions. 

“There were 68 varieties of tulips on display in the garden this season, out of these varieties, four new ones were introduced this year: Hamilton, Sweetheart, Cafe Noir and Christmas Dream”, the official said.

Expressing his satisfaction over the record number of visitors, the official further said the enormous flow of Tourists from within and outside the country motivates us and imbues in us courage to do more to make the visit to the garden a memorable experience. (GNS)

SRINAGAR: Cable Car Corporation today cautioned Tourists of falling in the trap of Touts.

A statement issued said that "It has come to the notice of the Management of the Cable Car Corporation that some of the tourists fall into the trap of touts and some miscreant elements regarding tickets of Gulmarg Gondola project".

It reads that "All Our esteemed tourists are informed through this press note that the tickets of Gulmarg Gondola Project are available only through online mode on official website www.jammukashmircablecar.com and there is no other means to get the ticket of Gulmarg Gondola Project".

There is a transparent system of online ticketing of Gulmarg Gondola and the question of black-marketing of Gondola tickets does not arise, therefore, our esteemed tourists are advised not to fall prey to the propaganda of touts and do not go for gondola booking by any mode other than online booking through official website www.jammukashmircablecar.com

 The intending tourists/visitors are advised to plan Gondola ride as per availability of tickets on the official website.(GNS)

SRINAGAR: The Tulip Garden in central Kashmir's district Srinagar has attracted over 1.58 lac visitors including local, national and international tourists in the first 12 days of its opening, officials said.

The Assistance Floriculture Officer (AFO), and the ground level in-charge of Tulip Garden Inam-ul-Rehman, told GNS that the (Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip) Garden, garden was thrown open to the public on March 20, 2023, and since then, it has turned out to be a major attraction for tourists, who are flocking to the garden to witness the vibrant colors of the tulips. “A total of 1.58 lakh people visited tulip garden Srinagar in the first 12 days and which includes local, national and international visitors.”

Rehman further said that the number of visitors has exceeded expectations and the garden is receiving a good response from all across. “We are happy to see that people are showing keen interest in visiting the garden. The tulips are in full bloom and visitors are enjoying the scenic beauty of the garden to the hilt,” he added.

“The garden has been set up with over 1.6 million blossomed bulbs of 68 colourful varieties, which have been imported from different parts of the world. The garden also features several other varieties of flowers, including Daffodils, Mascaries and Hisins.

The authorities have announced that they have made special arrangements for the safety and convenience of the visitors. The main facilities they offer include garden clearance and maintenance, and in addition to this, other public utilities including adequate drinking water facilities and rain shelters.

The famous Garden located on the foothills of Zabarwan Range in Srinagar along the banks of the Dal Lake is expected to remain open till April end, with the authorities expecting more visitors in the coming days. (GNS)