5 months ago
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Christmas celebrations lifted the tone of moribund tourism manufacture successful Kashmir connected Thursday (December 25, 2025). Hundreds of locals and home tourists flocked to Gulmarg and Pahalgam, wherever a panic onslaught earlier this twelvemonth threw a spanner successful the increasing tourer footfall.
The centre of attraction for tourists was the Saint Mary religion astatine Gulmarg successful northbound Kashmir. Built successful 1902, the well-lit religion connected a snow-laden highland successful the Gulmarg meadow saw visitors experiencing the Christmas celebrations. “Gulmarg provides a cleanable backdrop for Christmas celebrations. Snow, bells tolling and festivities each round,” said Naresh Kumar, a tourer from New Delhi.
According to section hoteliers, occupancy of astir hotels jumped from astir 20% to astir 70% connected eve of Christmas. The tourer hotspot has astir 2300 beds.
In southbound Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which saw a large panic onslaught connected April 22 this year, Maira Gupta, a six-year- aged tourer from Maharashtra inaugurated the wintertime festival. “Maira won millions of hearts successful Kashmir by inaugurating the wintertime festival, which volition proceed till the New Year,” an authoritative of the tourism section said.
J&K’s summertime superior Srinagar held a Christmas Kehwa Fest connected the banks of the Dal water successful Srinagar to observe Christmas. Kehwa is simply a section saffron-based brew. “Our absorption is the revival of tourism. These initiatives volition bring a large alteration for Kashmir tourism,” said Baber Chowdhary, caput of the J&K Hotel and Restaurant Association (JKHARA).
A caller spell of dense snowfall successful precocious reaches of Kashmir earlier this week has travel arsenic a bully omen for the tourism industry. “Footfall has accrued importantly since the snowfall. Several hotels are packed. It’s picking up,” said Waseem Raja, Joint Director of the Tourism Department.
Kashmir witnessed astatine slightest 40% drop successful tourer footfall owed the Pahalgam onslaught and the May 7-11 subject confrontation betwixt India and Pakistan.
Mr. Raja said Christmas provided a level to observe festivals together. “Kashmir has the contented of joining the solemnisation of large festivals. We saw locals joining tourists to observe Christmas. We are hopeful of radical getting unneurotic to observe New Year and Lohri,” Mr. Raja said.
Buoyed by the summation successful the tourer footfall, the tourism section was readying to signifier a bid of events to pull much tourists. “Upcoming months are packed with promotional events. We are moving connected wintertime tourism and adjacent year’s outpouring tourism. Roadshows will beryllium held crossed the state to summation the footfall,” Mr. Raja added.
