SRINAGAR: Gulmarg, which is a world famous ski resort and tourist destination in north Kashmir, has disappointed tourists and the tourism stakeholders due to no snowfall. The snowless ski resort has led to few cancellations while some have deferred plans to travel to Gulmarg.
Kashmir is facing an unprecedented dry spell this winter and Gulmarg ski resort, which used to attract a large number of tourists including foreigners for its ski slopes and scenic beauty in the winters, is barren.
Tourists, especially newly married couples, who had travelled to the tourist destination to spend some leisure days in the snow covered peaks of Gulmarg have been heavily dissapointed.
A tourist from Rajasthan Dhruv Sharma said he had come to visit Gulmarg to see and enjoy snow. “However, to our disappointment, there is no snow in Gulmarg. It is dry all over,” he said. “I had heard that there is a lot of snow in Gulmarg in January and had planned accordingly but was dissapointed,” he said.
Every year thousands of tourists used to visit Gulmarg to enjoy skiing and other snow sports in the snow covered peaks of the tourist spot. “It is for the first time that Gulmarg is dry and there is no snow,” said Mukhtar Ahmad Shah, a hotelier in Gulmarg.
He said due to the lack of snow, everybody is disappointed. “Snow is the main attraction of Gulmarg in winters and tourists come here for skiing and other snow games. But with no snow, there is no scope for skiing and other winter games currently,” Shah said.
The occupancy in Gulmarg has taken a hit due to lack of snow. “At present we have 80-90 percent occupancy in the hotels. It would have been 100 per cent had there been snow around,” said Shah. Another hotelier said snowless Gulmarg has hit the tourist inflow. “The foreign tourists used to visit Gulmarg for skiing but when there is no snow, what will they do here,” he said. Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK) president Rauf Tramboo said Gulmarg used to be fully packed earlier.
No foreign tourists
Hoteiliers say foreign tourists visit Gulmarg for skiing. However, when there is no snow, they won’t stay here for long. Tourism in general has been facing a significant hit, and no foreign tourists made it worse.