People dressed as Santa Claus take a selfie in a snow-covered valley on the eve of the Christmas festival in Gulmarg, Baramulla district, Jammu and Kashmir, Wednesday, December 24, 2025. | Photo credit: PTI
Christmas celebrations on Thursday (December 25, 2025) in Kashmir lifted the spirits of the moribund tourism industry. Hundreds of local and domestic tourists flocked to the towns of Gulmarg and Pahalgam, where a terror attack earlier this year threw a wrench in the growing tourism footprint.
The center of attraction for tourists was Saint Mary’s Church in Gulmarg in north Kashmir. Built in 1902, visitors were treated to Christmas celebrations at the well-lit church on the snow-covered highlands of Gulmarg Meadow. “Gulmarg provides the perfect backdrop for Christmas celebrations. Snow, ringing and celebrations all around,” said Naresh Kumar, a tourist from New Delhi.
According to local hoteliers, occupancy at most hotels jumped from around 20% to around 70% on Christmas Eve. The tourist hotspot has around 2,300 beds.
In South Kashmir’s Pahalgam, where a major terrorist attack took place on April 22 this year, a winter festival was started by Maira Gupta, a six-year-old tourist from Maharashtra. “Maira has won millions of hearts in Kashmir by ushering in a winter festival that will continue till New Year,” said a tourism department official.
The summer capital of J&K Srinagar organized Christmas Kehwa Fest on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar to celebrate Christmas. Kehwa is a local saffron-based beer. “Our aim is to revive tourism. These initiatives will bring a big change for tourism in Kashmir,” said Baber Chowdhary, chief of J&K Hotel and Restaurant Association (JKHARA).
Fresh heavy snowfall in upper Kashmir earlier this week bodes well for the tourism industry. “Since the snowfall, footfall has increased significantly. Several hotels are overbooked. It is gaining momentum,” said Waseem Raja, joint director of the tourism department.
Kashmir witnessed at least a 40% drop in tourist arrivals due to the Pahalgam attack and the military confrontation between India and Pakistan from 7 to 11 May.
Mr. Raja said Christmas provided a platform to celebrate festivals together. “Kashmir has a tradition of joining in celebrating major festivals. We have seen locals joining tourists to celebrate Christmas. We hope people will come together to celebrate New Year and Lohri,” Mr Raja said.
Encouraged by the increase in tourist arrivals, the tourism department planned to organize a series of events to attract more tourists. “The coming months are packed with promotions. We are working on winter tourism and spring tourism next year. Roadshows will be held across the country to increase footfall,” added Mr. Raja.
Published – 26 Dec 2025 02:56 IST
