SRINAGAR: The lack of snow has severely impacted Kashmir’s tourism sector, causing a flood of intended travellers to postpone and cancel their plans, which has affected hotels and tour companies. Local companies that depend heavily on winter travel were caught off guard by the sudden development. Kashmir’s once-thriving tourism industry has suffered a great deal as a result of social media posts expressing disbelief and sharing pictures of desolate surroundings. Kashmir’s well-known tourist attractions, including Pahalgam, Sonamarg, and Gulmarg, a ski resort that has long drawn tourists from all over the world, have been negatively impacted by this year’s lack of snow.Tourism stakeholders estimate that there has been a loss of over 50% in leisure tourism enthusiasts and an 80 percent decline in adventure tourism enthusiasts. The effects are being felt throughout the region, affecting enterprises and changing the perception of Kashmir as a winter wonderland for tourists. Mushtaq Chaya, the chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Hoteliers Club, called the current state of affairs in Kashmir—which is devoid of snow—a recurrent nightmare. “As natural beauty, be it snow or greenery, is our unique selling proposition (USP), without it, our tourism product is nothing,” he stated. “The absence of the iconic snow-capped summits and slopes this year has left travellers dejected, resulting in a major decrease in tourist influx, estimated to be over 50 per cent.There will be more deterioration if the current state of affairs continues, Chaya stated, adding that cancellations are becoming a regular occurrence and are mostly related to the lack of snowfall. The local communities who depend on tourism are affected economically as cancellations keep rising. Financial strain is experienced by hoteliers and retailers, and for many families, the lack of seasonal revenue has increased worries. Empty rooms and lonely slopes greet hotel owners in Gulmarg, a generally busy ski resort that is used to receiving enthusiastic skiers and snow enthusiasts. In Gulmarg, December was a busy month, and we anticipated a similar influx in January.However, nature has dashed our hopes,” a hotelier said. Chairman Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) J&K Chapter, Ather Yameen said potential visitors, upon learning about the absence of snowfall in Sonamarg, Gulmarg, or Pahalgam, are cancelling their bookings. “This underscores the critical importance of environmental considerations in shaping the future of tourism in Kashmir,” he said.
