Fresh snow in Gulmarg, tour operators hope for higher tourist footfall

STATE TIMES NEWS

Srinagar: Fresh snowfall in the tourist resort town of Gulmarg on Sunday brought cheer to Kashmir’s tourism stakeholders.
The Gulmarg bowl, as it is popularly known, witnessed snowfall in the afternoon. The snowfall was going on when the last report was received, officials said.
They said two to three inches of snow had accumulated, according to the latest report.
Snowfall was also recorded in several areas, including the Kupwara and the Baramulla districts of north Kashmir, the officials said.
The Met office has forecast wet weather for the next 24 hours, with the possibility of light snowfall in parts of south Kashmir.
The snowfall brightened the hopes of better winter tourism in Kashmir, which witnessed a relatively dry winter last year.
“We are hoping for a good amount of snow this year so that tourists can come and enjoy themselves. Last year, there was scant snow even in Gulmarg, which kept the tourists away from the Valley,” said Shoaib Ahmad, a travel agent.
Aijaz Ahmad, a tour operator, said they had plenty of enquiries from both domestic and foreign tourists during the past week, when the higher reaches received snow.
“Today’s snowfall in Gulmarg is surely going to boost tourist arrivals this winter,” he added.