AMN / SRINAGAR
A large number of tourists have thronged in valley to celebrate new year here. Tourism players in Kashmir are haapy as hotels in Gulmarg are jam-packed, as tourists from across the country are rushing towards this famous ski resort in north Kashmir on the New Year’s Eve.
People associated with travel trade say other tourist destination in Kashmir have also witnessed a good number of hotel bookings.
They say tourist arrivals started to pickup from December 23 to celebrate Christmas here and later stayed put to ring in the New Year from Kashmir.
Hundreds of tourists and locals from various areas of Jammu and Kashmir and other states of India are thronging Gulmarg for New Year celebrations and to enjoy snow sports, skiing etc. Tourism department orgainises various events and adventure sports activities at Gulmargin during winter to attract visitors.
“The snow is the only thing during winters which attract tourists, especially skiing lovers to visit Gulmarg,” said a senior tourism department official, adding, “In order to make hassle free journey to Gulmarg, government has put in various measures enroute to ski-resort.”
Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Hotelier’s Club, Mushtaq Ahmad Chaya said tourist influx in the eve of New Year has picked up, which is a good sign for the tourism sector of Kashmir.
Meanwhile in New Delhi Home Minister Rajnath Singh Friday said that security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and Naxal-hit areas has improved considerably. Singh made the remark at an inter-ministerial meeting, convened to discuss development issues in Jammu and Kashmir, Left Wing Extremism-affected states and the Northeast region.
The home minister said the overall security situation in the country had shown considerable improvement, an official statement said.
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