Tourists make beeline for snow-capped Gulmarg after snowfall in Jammu & Kashmir

Gulmarg (J&K): A white carpet of otherwise green meadows greets tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s “mini Switzerland.” The recent spells of snowfall in the Union Territory have brought the resort - at an altitude of 8,000 feet, 50 km north of the summer capital Srinagar - to life with the place brimming with visitors.

Soumya Srivastav, a tourist from Australia, could not resist but marvel, “I feel like I am in heaven. It is so awesome here.”

The famous ski-resort here is a top draw for tourists from across the country and abroad with over 6,000 visiting on a daily basis.

Srivastav said, “I am basically from Kathmandu, married to a Kashmiri man and currently living in Australia.”

The snow-capped mountains and white-carpet meadows form quite the backdrop for the resort, which also offers a wide range of winter activities such as skiing.

The last few years have been good for the tourism sector in Kashmir -- often poetically referred to as “paradise on Earth”. The region witnessed booming tourism seasons, especially after countries reopened their borders in the aftermath of COVID-19.

According to the Union Territory government, last year was one of the best seasons for the tourism industry as the Valley witnessed a record number of tourist arrivals. Gulmarg, especially in winter, is the most popular among the many places on Kashmir’s tourist map. Tourist arrivals have spiked after recent snowfall.