Tour operators and hotelier gear up for winter tourism in Kashmir

Tour operators and hoteliers are gearing up for winter tourism in Kashmir, because this year, the unrest in Kashmir has affected the economy badly with the situation gradually improving and the region receiving a good amount of snowfall over the last months, hope has surfaced for a brisk business season.

Presently, tourists are visiting Gulmarg and other areas of Kashmir. A few days back, the Department of Tourism brought 25 tour operators from different parts of the country, including from Ahmadabad, West Bengal and Mumbai to Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Srinagar to assess the situation in the valley.

Tourists from across the world prefer to visit Kashmir during the winter season. The upper reaches including Gulmarg and Pahalgam have already received good snowfall and tour operators are making fresh booking.

"We are ready to serve the tourists to our utmost. Because of the unrest, it was difficult to prepare for the season, but now, slowly and steadily, things are getting back to normal. We are receiving a lot of bookings as snowfall can be experienced now. We have great expectations from tourists this time," Irfan Ahmad, an hotelier, said.

These tour operators and hoteliers have already made all arrangements and published new pamphlets online along with details of winter activities.