A big chunk of Kashmiri’s are associated with tourism sector since long and are earning their livelihood from it. Tourism has been an important component of J&Ks economy. It is not only during summers that tourists are mesmerized by the beauty of Kashmir but in winters also when UT government has geared up and identified more 75 offbeat destinations. It includes those as well which will cater visitors during winters.
Keeping this in view the government in the past used to host number of winter sports at famous tourist destinations of Kashmir. If winter destinations in Kashmir are developed and the single spot syndrome is cured, we can have winter tourism benefiting other areas of Kashmir as well. The concept that winter tourism can be sold to domestic and international tourists has picked little late but it’s not too late yet. The government should try to attract European and Western ski lovers here given the low cost of pursuing skiing sport in Gulmarg rather than Alps and Canadian ski destinations. This will bolster Gulmarg reckoning at the international level.
This way Kashmir can have the flow of tourists round the year. If that happens, our tourism industry can really grow to the levels where it can hugely contribute to the economy of the UT. For this to happen, winter sports events at different tourist destinations all across the valley must be arranged at a level that can attract people all over the world.
Many tourists like to visit Kashmir in winters to enjoy the snowfall, but they are left disappointed due to frequent closure of 275-km long Srinagar Jammu highway and subsequent hike in the airfare. The need of the hour is to develop state of art winter tourism by providing proper facilities for the tourists in the valley during the season.
If projected effectively with innovative plans, winter tourism holds the potential to give a big flip to the tourism industry in the valley. There is a need to maximize winter tourism potential of Kashmir to drive the inclusive economic growth of the UT by various means including employment generation. At the same time, development of tourism infrastructure should not come at the cost of the environment.
