5 months ago
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Kashmir’s wintertime tourism received a changeable successful the limb connected Saturday (December 13, 2025), with the inauguration of Asia’s longest skis resistance assistance and rotating league hallway astatine an altitude of 4,390 metres, to lucifer with world-class facilities for skiers successful northbound Kashmir’s Gulmarg.
“The newly-inaugurated skis resistance assistance and grooming facilities would springiness a large boost to wintertime sports and nonrecreational skiing. The revolving league hallway astatine Apharwat would importantly heighten visitant experience. Our imaginativeness is to marque Gulmarg a planetary hub for wintertime sports portion ensuring conservation of its fragile ecology and earthy beauty,” Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said.
Asia’s longest skis resistance lift, measuring 726 metres, is located astatine Kongdoori and has travel up astatine a outgo of ₹3.65 crore. At Apharwat, the rotating league hallway outgo ₹86 lakh. In all, Mr. Abdullah inaugurated tourism infrastructure projects worthy implicit ₹17 crore astatine Gulmarg and its adjoining areas, “to propulsion J&K’s presumption arsenic a premier planetary wintertime tourism destination.”
Sustained infra investment
The Gulmarg meadow, surrounded by mountains connected 3 sides, was a large tourer attraction successful 2024. It hosted implicit 7.68 lakh visitors past twelvemonth and was the main venue for the 4th edition of the Khelo India Winter Games.
Mr. Abdullah besides laid the instauration chromatic for fencing of the Gulmarg play course, a task worthy ₹4.77 crore, “aimed astatine protecting and enhancing 1 of the region’s iconic tourism assets”.
“Gulmarg remains the crown jewel of J&K’s tourism scenery and that sustained concern successful modern, high-quality infrastructure is indispensable to unlocking its afloat potential. These initiatives are not conscionable infrastructure additions but strategical investments that volition make year-round tourism opportunities, make employment for section youth, and elevate Gulmarg to planetary standards,” Mr. Abdullah said.
