SRINAGAR: The world famous ski resort Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir will be teeming with people during Christmas and New Year as all hotels and guest houses in the snow-decked resort have been booked by tourists. The hill station in north Kashmir is abuzz with tourists even now. The slopes of Gulmarg are covered with a thick blanket of snow during the winters and the tourists enjoy snow slides and snowboarding in the picturesque place.
All the hotels in Gulmarg are fully booked for Christmas and New Year as tourists are thronging the place
to celebrate Christmas and New Year in the snow-decked tourist destination. Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK) president Rauf Tramboo said Gulmarg is fully booked and Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir has been witnessing a good footfall of tourists during the winters and it has now increased for Christmas and New Year festivities.
“People want to have white Christmas and that is why they are interested in visiting Gulmarg. This year there has been early winter and early snowfall and this is attracting more tourists to the Valley, especially this hill station,” he said. He said the tourist stakeholders are satisfied with the present footfall of tourists in different tourist destinations including Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Srinagar.
According to Tramboo, the tourists are mostly from Maharashtra, Gujarat and West Bengal but travelers from south India are also now travelling to Kashmir during the winter to enjoy snowfall here. He said a good number of foreign tourists, including from Russia, are in the Gulmarg to enjoy skiing and other winter sports.
The tourists visiting Gulmarg are awestruck by the picturesque beauty of the place, which is covered by snow capped mountains. “This is my 4th visit to Kashmir. I have come to celebrate Christmas in Gulmarg. This place gives a look of wonderland and staying here and celebrating Christmas in snow will be a lifetime experience,” said a tourist from West Bengal.
She said Gulmarg is a very beautiful and must-visit place and a person should pay a visit at least once to this wonder land. Zahoor Qari, chairman Nageen Travel Trade Association and former TAAI Kashmir chapter president said Gulmarg is fully booked while Srinagar is also getting a good footfall.
He said some tourists directly after landing at Srinagar airport travel to Gulmarg and after spending a few days there return to their places. According to hoteliers, there are 900 rooms and 1,800 beds in all the hotels in Gulmarg and all hotels are booked till mid-January.
Early snowfall behind huge footfall
Travel Agents Association of Kashmir president Rauf Tramboo said there has been early winter and snowfall in the state. This is attracting more tourists to the Valley, especially to the hill station. He said tourist stakeholders are also satisfied with the present footfall.