Tourists thronging Gulmarg for new year celebrations

After witnessing little to no visitors for more than a year now, tourism players in Kashmir at the end of 2017 have got a reason to cheer. Hotels in Gulmarg are jam-packed, as tourists from across the country are rushing towards this famous ski resort in north Kashmir on the New Year’s Eve. People associated with travel trade say other tourist destination in Kashmir have also witnessed a good number of hotel bookings. They say tourist arrivals started to pickup from December 23 to celebrate Christmas here and later stayed…

Read More

Abhishek Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu to start shooting in Kashmir for Manmarziyan

Recently, it was found that Abhishek Bachchan will play the lead role in Anurag Kashyap’s upcoming film ‘Manmarziyan’. If rumours are to be believed, Junior Bachchan has replaced Malayalam actor Dulquer Salmaan, who was previously cast for the role. Produced by Aanand L Rai, the shooting is said to begin in February 2018 in Kashmir. The makers of the film are looking forward to shoot a romantic scene at a snowy landscape. The film also stars Vicky Kaushal, who was known for his performance in Masaan, who will be playing…

Read More

Kashmir safe place for tourists : Priya Sethi

State Tourism Minister highlights its attractions “There is a false perception that Jammu and Kashmir is an unsafe place, so I request people from Tamil Nadu to visit us and see how the place has changed,” Priya Sethi, Minister of State for Tourism, Jammu and Kashmir, said at a roadshow in Chennai. “The State is a safe place for tourists and I would also like to point out that stone pelting has also come down in the region,” she said. The Minister was here along with a huge delegation from…

Read More

Christmas spreads hope & cheer in ski resort of Gulmarg

Christmas has brought some good news for the tourism sector in the ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir. While a mass was held at the church, other places, like the Gulmarg Gondola, were illuminated. Most of the major hotels were booked as the Tourism Department has lined up a host of activities in the run up to the New Year. “All major hotels are sold out at Gulmarg….an early snowfall this year augured well for the tourism sector and a mass was held on the festive eve. The church,…

Read More

Majority businesses boycotted pre-budget meeting with Finance Minister: JKCC

Demands JK as free economic zone, revocation of GST Jammu and Kashmir Coordination Committee (JKCC) has expressed gratitude to all those member-organizations which followed its programme of boycotting their participation in pre-budget discussions with the Finance Minister. JKCC said overwhelming majority of business organizations including Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Fed¬eration (KTMF), Federation of Chambers of Industries Kashmir (FCIK), Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industries-Kashmir (CCIK), Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA), Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHARA),Kashmir Traders Federation (KTF), Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers and Dealers Union (KVGGDU), All Kashmir Chemists and…

Read More

Industry body supports levy of toll tax at Lakhanpur

A delegation of Association of Industries led by its president Rattan Dogra met Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu and urged him that the levy of toll at Lakhanpur barrier must be continued so as to safeguard and protect the industry. The association submitted that the toll was never intended to be covered and subsumed under the GST. It said toll was levied in many states and National Highway Authority of India continued to collect it even at many points in J&K and elsewhere in the country. The minister promised the association…

Read More

As tourist influx hits rock bottom hoteliers across valley forced to switch businesses

Owing to the continued slump in the tourist footfall, Kashmir hoteliers are switching their properties for other commercial use to recover the losses. Hoteliers also rue government’s attitude towards the industry in the backdrop of the financial losses they suffered for past many years. Abdul Wahid, President Kashmir Hotels and Restaurants Owners Federation (KHAROF), said that they haven’t received any compensation from the government of the losses. “The government didn’t even compensate us for 2014 floods which.” Although Kashmir witnessed political upheavals in 2008 and 2010, the things settled down…

Read More

Low tourist arrivals has affected our livelihood: Houseboat Owners seek CM’s help

Kashmir Houseboat owners association (KHOA) Wednesday appealed Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to announce compensation for them in view of low tourist arrivals in Kashmir. “Due to unfortunate unrest, the valley has witnessed total decline of tourism and incurred heavy loss to the tourism sector in general and in particular. The houseboat business due to unfavorable circumstances has suffered massive loss. As a result at present, most of the houseboat families are not in a condition to survive their daily livelihood properly,” said Hamid Wangnoo, convener HBOA in a statement. “Houseboats,…

Read More

RBI Cash restrictions attempt to crush Kashmir Economy: Kashmir Inc

As banking regulator Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has started to restrict cash flow to Jammu and Kashmir by choking supply of high denomination fresh currency notes to banks operating in this region, various Kashmir-based business leaders on Wednesday said it will leave an adverse impact on the already fragile economy of the state. Several banking functionaries on Tuesday had said that RBI has cut down cash supply to the banks in the state which has started pinching their customers especially ATM users. This step is apparently being implemented by…

Read More

Pack your bags for Kashmir gets its first Snowfall and looks Irresistibly Inviting

Srinagar recorded its first snowfall of this season on Tuesday. Most of the areas in the Valley and in its plains received overnight snow. The city registered a minimum temperature of 3.1 degree Celsius on Monday, which was up by three degrees from normal. The reason for this is an active Western Disturbance developing over north Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir. In capital Kashmir, the rains brought the season’s first snow, something which the locals and traders cheered on as they gear up to welcome tourists from across the country in the…

Read More