After a lost summer, Gulmarg finds Its winter footing

Suhail Khan

Srinagar, Feb 12 : Through the summer of 2025, the tourist cabins in Gulmarg stayed locked. Travel agents cancelled bookings. The headlines, after the Pahalgam terror attack in earleir April last year, had done their damage. “It was a lost season,” recalls Tariq Hussain Naik, chief executive of the Gulmarg Development Authority.

This February, the locks are off. The cabins are booked. And on the Kongdoori slopes, where until recently only a trickle of skiers showed up, around 400 athletes will compete in the Khelo India Winter Games from February 23 to 26.

The turnaround, officials say, has been sharp. And it has been powered by two things the Valley could not have controlled: snow, and a national sports calendar that aligned perfectly with the global Olympic buzz.

“This is the perfect time to host Khelo India Winter Games,” Union Sports Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said in New Delhi on Thursday, referencing the just-concluded Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, where India fielded two athletes.

The Gulmarg leg, the second phase of KIWG 2026, will feature ski mountaineering, alpine and Nordic skiing, and snowboarding. The ice sports leg was held in Ladakh in January.

For J&K’s tourism machinery, the Games are more than a competition. They are a visibility engine.

“It was Gulmarg which turned hit among tourists after last year’s huge losses,” a tourism official said. “The snowfall triggered a double rush.”

The official was speaking on the sidelines of the Outbound Travel Mart in Mumbai, where, on February 7, Jammu and Kashmir was named the ‘Best Adventure Tourism Destination’ at one of Asia’s largest travel trade expos. The award, officials hope, will help scrub off some of the caution that settled over the sector after last year’s attack.

“Considering the challenges last season, this is a positive start to 2026,” Syed Qamar Sajad, Director Tourism Kashmir, told Kashmir Convener. “We are already seeing an uptick in arrivals.”

The numbers are still being collated, but anecdotal evidence from hoteliers in Gulmarg suggests occupancy has climbed steadily through January and February — a period that usually sees a lull between the New Year rush and the spring thaw.

Naik, the GDA chief, said the award was “not just an award — it is a sign of relief.” He added: “Given the downturn last year, a great strategy has resulted in a boom this year.”

What that strategy entailed, officials said, was a sustained push on multiple fronts: upgraded road connectivity to Gulmarg, increased flight links to Srinagar, and a diplomatic offensive at travel fairs to reassure tour operators that Kashmir was safe.

“This award reinforces that Jammu and Kashmir is not only open for tourism but is a compelling, safe, and varied destination,” Sajad said.

The Khelo India Winter Games, now in its sixth edition, has also evolved from a niche event into a genuine talent pipeline. Last year, the women’s ice hockey team won bronze at the IIHF Women’s Asia Cup — India’s first-ever international podium finish in the sport. Figure skater Tara Prasad has accumulated medals abroad.

“Every season has seen rising competition and exciting performances,” Mandaviya said. In Gulmarg, the alpine skiing events are expected to draw the largest turnout.

For the local economy, the stakes are straightforward. Ski instructors, pony wallahs, cab drivers, and hotel staff all depend on the winter rush. Last year, many had to find alternative work. This year, Naik said, the department has arranged “every facility to ensure a better and safer journey”.

Whether the revival sustains beyond the winter will depend on the summer season. But for now, in Gulmarg, the snow machines are silent — nature has done the job.