Snowfall has started in higher reaches of the Valley. Kashmir is planning to celebrate the New Year with musical parties and carnivals.The year witnessed the highest-ever arrival of tourists in Kashmir in the history
Kashmir is planning to celebrate the New Year with musical parties and carnivals as tourists continue to keep their date with the Himalayan valley. Snowfall has already started in the higher reaches of the Valley which tourism players expect to make the events merrier as the year ends.
Kashmir is planning to celebrate the New Year with musical parties and carnivals as tourists continue to keep their date with the Himalayan valley. Snowfall has already started in the higher reaches of the Valley which tourism players expect to make the events merrier as the year ends.
The year witnessed the highest-ever arrival of tourists in Kashmir in the history as the number has already crossed 26.5 lakhs.
Tourism officials said that the ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir and tourist resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir were presently packed and the bookings in hotels are full for the New Year’s eve.
“Tourism is going normal like it was in the rest of the year. There is no impact of Covid. We are having almost 6,000-7,000 arrivals daily,” said Zeeshan Khan, assistant director tourism, publicity.
He said that the government has planned musical evenings and carnivals in Gulmarg and Pahalgam on December 31.
“On the New Year, we have functions in north and south Kashmir. In Gulmarg, the tourism department has planned DJ, musical evening and winter carnival. In Pahalgam, we have invited a national celebrity, a singer of Kesaria fame,” Khan said.
The Gulmarg carnival will witness local bands performing from the evening which will culminate with DJ in the night. “There is open invitation to all,” he said.
Similarly, Kashmir’s prominent private hotels have also planned parties during the night. “I think this will be the New Year where you will be having parties almost at all the major hotels,” he said.
The snowfall has also started in Kashmir bringing more cheer to the tourism players.
Akib Chaya, president of Gulmarg chapter of J&K Hoteliers Club, said that Gulmarg and Pahalgam are sold out even as the snowfall has made it more lucrative to visit the Valley. “It is snowing in Gulmarg. The New Year will be merrier because of the snowfall,” Chaya said.
He said hoteliers have planned parties and functions on New Year at all tourist destinations. “We are celebrating New Year at all places. While tourism department has parties planned for the common man. We will have functions for in-house guests. There are events in every hotel,” he said.
He said that they will be welcoming people from across the country and even some international tourists. “There will be gala dinners and prominent singers from Kashmir in these events,” he said.
This year, tourism officials said that Kashmir valley witnessed a record arrival of tourists in the history. They say over 26.5 lakh tourists, including 3.5 lakh Amarnath yatris visited the Valley this year till December 28.
The highest grossing months were April (2.72 lakh), May (3.75 lakh) and June (3.33 lakh) while in lean months there were 62,000 arrivals in January and 1 lakh arrivals in February,
“The December figures have crossed 1.5 lakh till now. The overall figures have crossed 26.5 lakh, including 3.5 lakh Amarnath yatris. This was the highest-ever tourism year in the history of Kashmir,” Khan said.
He said that the reasons for such a grand tourism year was aggressive publicity campaigns outside, increase in local events and the keen interest of the Prime Minister, home minister and lieutenant governor tweeting and promoting the place. “If anyone wants to enjoy winters, there is no better place than Kashmir,” he said.