SRINAGAR: With tourist inflow to the Valley picking up after recent spells of snowfall in the upper reaches, including the resorts of Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam, police have advised tourism stakeholders in Pahalgam against taking visitors to unsafe or off-limits locations.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anantnag, Amritpal Singh, on Monday held a coordination meeting with hotel owners, taxi and pony operators, ATV bikers and other tourism stakeholders in Pahalgam to strengthen tourist safety during the winter season.
During the meeting, the SSP stressed the collective responsibility of all stakeholders in ensuring a safe and secure environment for visitors.
He directed them to maintain proper records of all guests, ensure the safety and security of tourists at all times, and refrain from using drones in restricted or sensitive areas.
“Do not take tourists to unsafe or off-limits locations,” the SSP advised the tourism stakeholders.
He also pressed for the timely submission of Form C with complete and correct details to Police Station Pahalgam.
The SSP said compliance would be closely monitored and appreciated the cooperation of the stakeholders.
The meeting took place as tourist inflow to the Valley has picked up following recent spells of snowfall in the upper reaches.
Besides the ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir and snow-clad Sonamarg in central Kashmir, tourists are also visiting the Pahalgam resort in south Kashmir.
After the April 22, 2025 terror attack on tourists in Baisaran, Pahalgam, in which 25 tourists and a local ponywala were killed, the tourism sector had been badly hit.
The three Pakistani militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba allegedly involved in the attack were killed in an encounter by security forces in the Dachigam forest area on the outskirts of Srinagar in July under “Operation Mahadev”.
As a fallout of the Pahalgam terror attack, authorities closed 48 tourist destinations in the Valley for a security audit.
However, with the improvement in the ground situation, many of the closed tourist spots have been thrown open. Among those reopened are Betaab Valley, the park near Pahalgam Bazaar, Aru Valley and Rafting Point Yanner in Pahalgam.
In order to send a message that Kashmir is safe, the country’s leading tour operators held events in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley, while the government and tourism stakeholders also promoted Kashmir tourism outside the region.
The snowfall in the upper reaches and tourist destinations has had a very positive and significant impact on winter tourism and the revival of the tourism sector in the Valley.