Whiteout brings joy

The recent snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir has brought a massive change in the tourism sector in the Valley as the flow of tourists has increased to a large extent with the hotels and homestays at almost all the major picturesque tourist destinations like Gulmarg, a famous ski-resort, Pahalgam and Sonamarg remaining jam-packed with the visitors, from different parts of the country, visiting the Valley on the New Year. The Kashmir Valley was witnessing a slump in tourism activities post Pahalgam attack earlier in April 2022, claiming 26 civilian lives, mostly tourists. The attack was followed by multiple government actions to woo the aspiring tourists to the Valley. But after the months of efforts, it was the fresh snowfall that put an end to the slump in tourism activities as the visitors started visiting the Valley again in large numbers, giving a positive sign of a good tourism winter season. While the forecast suggests that the Valley is expected to witness more snowfall in the coming days, the possible whiteout is all set to increase the tourist footfall in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in the Valley. However, at this juncture, the need of the hour is to come up with winter sports activities and championships at the prominent tourist places so that more visitors including the athletes will visit here and the sector will get a boost once again to ensure the sustainable livelihood to the people associated with the tourism sector. Time to act is now. The government must start the sports activities at earliest to gain the momentum and ensure Kashmir’s natural landscape is always blessed with the guests.