Snow revives tourism hope
Six months after the Pahalgam attack that overnight set back the otherwise thriving tourism, the Valley still finds itself struggling to regain the confidence of visitors. The attack, which claimed 26 lives, all but one of them tourists, triggered an immediate exodus from what had been a bustling season. The summer that followed turned into one of the leanest tourist seasons in recent years.
But with the early snowfall in October in the upper reaches including at the famous resorts like Gulmarg and Sonamarg, there is a fragile hope for a recovery of tourism. The early snowfall, tourism operators say, has already sparked a slow revival. Enquiries for winter bookings are trickling in, and the slopes of Gulmarg, one of Asia’s premier ski destination, are again drawing attention. There is cautious optimism that this winter might undo at least part of the damage inflicted by fear and uncertainty.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s candid acknowledgment that both summer and autumn were “entirely lost seasons” captures the scale of the setback following the Pahalgam attack, coupled with the four-day war with Pakistan. For a region where lakhs of families depend on visitors, from taxi drivers to carpet sellers, the impact has been devastating. Abdullah has now appealed for reopening of the tourist destinations shut after the attack. “We did not close these places even during the peak of militancy,” he reminded officials.
Indeed, reopening remains the first step toward revival. While 28 sites have been reopened in phases, many more remain out of bounds. The longer they stay shut, the harder it will be to convince travellers that Kashmir is ready to welcome them again. In that sense, the government’s renewed promotional drive, sending teams abroad to Singapore, Berlin, and London, is a move in the right direction. But glossy campaigns will mean little unless they are backed by visible normalcy on the ground. We can’t forget the tragedy of Pahalgam but at the same time we can’t let it restrain our effort to promote tourism. We must seize the opportunity offered by early snowfall to bring tourists back.
