Tourists rush to Gulmarag

With soaring temperature outside state, tourist inflow to Kashmir is increasing to the world famous Dal Lake and Gulmarg which appears to be the main attraction for domestic and foreign visitors.

Thousands of tourists have thronged to gardens of Nishat Shalimar, Cheshma Shahi, Pari Mahal and Harwan along the periphery of Zabarwan hills overlooking the serene waters of the Dal lake.

Long queues of visitors were seen at the Botanical Garden which are witnessing huge rush of tourists as visitors enjoy visiting the garden to click pictures and make videos.

Hoteliers’, ponnywalas, and traders are hopeful of a good business now a day. Their only apprehension is that unlike summer last year, the summer ahead should remain peaceful.

“We are hopeful of a good business and so far tourist inflow to the valley is picking up. Visitors from foreign countries are in good numbers and almost every hotel here is doing a good business. We wish the summer this year remains violence-free and that will immensely multiply the rush of visitors in coming months too,” said an hotelier in Srinagar.

Like hoteliers, Shikariwalas and houseboat owners also expressed their satisfaction over the tourist flow and hoped that the rush will increase manifold in coming weeks. Cold winds blowing along the world famous Dal Lake in the evenings attract tourists to the lake.

Tourists take Shikara ride and many others prefer to stroll around Dal Lake in the evenings. The boulevard road witnesses huge flow of traffic especially in the evening as locals also move out to the banks of Dal Lake to pass leisurely time.

Public parks including the Zabarwan Park, Nishat and Shalimar garden also witness good flow of visitors and locals. Reports from Pahalgam said that good numbers of visitors were visiting the tourist destination and the hoteliers, traders and ponnywalas were doing a good business.

The state’s Tourism Department has also offered more programmes with added facilities to attract larger number of domestic and foreign tourists to the valley this year to boost the shattered economy through the major tourism industry.