After the debacle caused to Kashmir tourism due to bloody unrest 2016, the recent heavy snowfall across Kashmir has brought happiness and smile back on people especially those who depend on Tourism for livelihood purposes .With the impressive snowfall, Tour operators and Hoteliers in Kashmir are gearing up for winter tourism in Kashmir.
Also, with this impressive snowfall one of the longest dry spell in Kashmir history came to an end. Kashmir desperately needs to promote winter tourism to boost its economy and increase the sources of income is the pulse on ground .We need to remind ourselves that Tourism is an important, even vital, source of income for many regions and countries. Its importance was recognized in the Manila Declaration on World Tourism of 1980 as “an activity essential to the life of nations because of its direct effects on the social, cultural, educational, and economic sectors of national societies and on their international relations.
In a related optimistic development, J&K tourism department has already decided to hold a snow festival in Gulmarg at the end of January. Pertinently, more measures should be taken to promote Kashmir as best winter tourism resort and the necessary infrastructure with reference to it should be built. We also need to look beyond Gulmarg as in winters whole flow is to Gulmarg and in this regard more destinations should be showcased as winter tourism destinations.
For the moment, snowfall is giving hope of revival of winter tourism in Kashmir.
