Snow Turns Gulmarg Into Winter Wonderland, Tourists Turn Skiers, Ride Gondola

Jammu and Kashmir's Gulmarg has come alive with snowfall, resulting in a massive tourist influx at India's top ski destination.

With the snow turning Gulmarg into a winter wonderland, the tourist footfall was among the best seen since the Pahalgam terror attack in April, leading to the deaths of 26 civilians.

In a first in eight months, hotels in Gulmarg are sold out till January 1, 2026, while ski instructors are on chock-a-block schedules and locals are reporting robust earnings.

The snowfall comes at the start of Chillai Kalan, a 40-day-long period of the harshest winter the Kashmir Valley witnesses. Though the snow is still too little to start professional skiing, the white blanket on the slopes has left tourists in awe. Bengaluru's Kiran Gowda tried his hand at skiing on the slopes at Kangdori. "Day before yesterday, I saw it's going to snow in Kashmir. Right away, I booked my tickets. I recommend everyone to come here as soon as possible," he said.

The white blanket on the slopes has left tourists in awe.

Gowda said he's been to various countries, and Kashmir's hospitality has impressed him.

At Gulmarg Gondola, Asia's highest cable car,  there are long queues of tourists waiting for their turn. It gives a panoramic view of snow-capped peaks as it passes through snow-covered pine forests.

Considered a yardstick to measure tourist influx in Kashmir, the Gondola earned over Rs 100 crore, but the income came to naught after the Pahalgam attack.

Locals, whose livelihoods depend on tourism, are upbeat. "I feel so happy to see so many tourists coming. Snowfall is the life of this place and livelihood for all of us living here," said a ski instructor.

Nasir, a ski trainer, said he was jobless all these months and snowfall has literally restored his livelihood. As he fixed the ski gear of a tourist, he said, "For all these months, I was jobless. Thank God it has snowed and we are able to resume work and earn a living. I'm so happy." 

The snowfall and rain also led to an improvement of air quality in the Kashmir Valley. A long, dry spell had worsened air quality as the AQI level had reached around 200 in Srinagar. On Monday, it was 42.