With new treks lined up, J&K eyes foreign tourists

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir government has identified new trekking routes in Kashmir Valley to promote “adventure tourism”.
Last year Kashmir witnessed massive tourist traffic around six lakh.
“Now we are going to open new trekking routes,” Jammu and Kashmir Director Tourism Ghulam Nabi Itoo said .
“Be it Gulmarg, or Pahalgam, now adventure routes of Gurez, Tosamaidan and Bungus valley will be the new hot spots in Kashmir where we have identified new trekking routes and would be put through for the tourists undertaking trekking,” he said. Earlier these routes were not highlighted given their inaccessibility.
He described the direct Srinagar-Dubai flight as a positive initiative paving the way for the foreigners to visit Kashmir.
“I hope that the foreign tourists who prefer to come for trekking to Kashmir would undertake these routes, once the Covid restrictions are eased out,” he said.
Foreign tourists usually look for “adventure tourism” including skiing. “We have updated slopes in the famous ski resort of Gulmarg for adventure tourism,” he added.
Hopefully the Ski lovers all over India and other parts of the world also visit during this winter, he said.
Ski resort of Gulmarg remained a favourite spot for the tourists, be it domestic, local or foreigners last year. “We hope during the winter they would also throng for adventure tourism here,” he said.
Gulmarg, draped in snow, is witnessing capacity booking this winter, for the first time during the past few years.
He said, we have a plan to start Heli Skiing again in Kashmir. “Due to Covid-19 pandemic, for the past two years there was not much international tourism in Kashmir and Heli Skiing could not be started… definitely that already is in the plan and will help to bring foreign tourism back in Kashmir”, he said.
Heli Skiing was started in Kashmir valley in 2011 in the Pir Panjal range of Western Himalayas based in Gulmarg ski resort.
There was a slide in foreign tourist numbers due to the suspension of international flights amid the Coronavirus pandemic.