Srinagar, Jul 11: Tourist footfall in Gulmarg has surged to pre-incident levels with hotel occupancy touching 100 per cent, less than six weeks after a technical glitch in the Gondola left over 300 passengers stranded mid-air.
The ropeway, which remained shut for nearly a month following the May 25 incident, was reopened in June by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah after a comprehensive safety audit.
Since then, tourist arrivals have increased significantly across Gulmarg, Sonamarg, and Pahalgam, with hospitality stakeholders reporting brisk business.
“We have been running at full capacity for the past two weeks. This is the best season we’ve had in years,” Mohammad Yousuf, a hotelier in Gulmarg, told Kashmir Convener.
Shopkeeper Ghulam Nabi said the footfall had exceeded expectations. “After the gondola incident, we were worried that tourists would stay away. But now, we are struggling to keep up with demand,” he said.
Tourists arriving in the Valley said the Gondola ride remained the main attraction.
“Visiting Gulmarg feels complete only after experiencing the ride,” said Palak Chaudhary, a tourist.
Rohan Sharma, visiting from Delhi, cited the weather as the primary reason for choosing Gulmarg. “The heat back home is unbearable. Here, it’s refreshing,” he said.
Security was also cited as a key reassurance by visitors. “The security is perfect and we feel safe. Everyone should come here,” said Preeti, a tourist from Delhi.
First-time visitors said they were initially nervous following the May 25 incident but were impressed by the professional handling of the Gondola operations.
“Coming here after the incident, I was a little nervous. But the staff was so professional, and the views from the top made everything worth it,” said Meera Nair from Mumbai.
Vikram Singh from Rajasthan said he had almost cancelled his trip. “Now I’m so glad we didn’t. The flowers, the mountains, the breeze — it’s like a dream. The locals welcomed us with genuine smiles,” he said.
Ananya Reddy, a software professional from Bengaluru, said she felt safe throughout her visit. “The gondola ride was smooth and the views breathtaking. I feel completely at ease here,” she said.
Suresh Kumar, a retired government officer from Lucknow, said the hospitality extended by locals was noteworthy. “Kashmiriyat is real, and we are experiencing it firsthand,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Tourism Kashmir on Thursday initiated a consultative exercise to update master plans for all development authorities in the Valley, with a focus on shifting from “volume to value,” officials said.
The day-long conclave at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) brought together town planning experts, development authority officials, and stakeholders from the travel and hospitality industry.
“Today, we have invited all development authorities of the Kashmir Division, along with town planning experts and stakeholders. Our aim is to update the master plans and decide how we want to move forward,” Director of Tourism Kashmir, Syed Qamar Sajad, told Kashmir Convener.
He said the deliberations were necessitated by mounting pressure on popular destinations, urban congestion, and inconveniences faced by tourists and locals.
“We have to now switch over from volume to value. These ideas and guidelines will be discussed in detail,” the Director said.
The updated master plan would be thrown open for public objections before final implementation, he added.
Responding to a query on the shrinking Dal Lake and a PIL on the matter before the High Court, Sajad said each destination has its own administrative mechanism.
“The LCMA takes care of Dal Lake. Similarly, every development authority, whether in Sonamarg or Gulmarg, has its own administrative set-up to supervise and resolve day-to-day problems,” he said.
The Director emphasised that long-term planning must not compromise ecology. “There should be no tarnishing of the beauty of our destinations, which is the prime attraction for tourists. The final product will be a win-win for nature, natural resources, local people, and tourists,” he added.
The conclave marks the first in a series of consultations aimed at rolling out a comprehensive tourism policy for the Union Territory, officials said.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who inaugurated the conclave, stressed the need to transition towards a sustainable, scientific, long-term, evidence-based and community-centric tourism model across Jammu & Kashmir.
Highlighting the “3E framework” of Ecology, Equity and Economy, he said it would guide the planning and development of priority destinations across J&K. Give healdine and sub jeadline of healdine
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