TOURISM REVIVAL: CM Omar says not releasing tourism data this time; officials disclose tourist footfall approximately 10.68 lakh visitors

STC NEWS DESK
SRINAGAR, JANUARY 09 (STC): Winter in Kashmir is witnessing revival of tourism at the back of snowfall, particularly in Gulmarg and Sonamarg. This revival has brought cheers to the authorities, particularly to the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who said, “Since the snowfall began, tourism in Kashmir has increased.”
The Chief Minister talked about a shift in strategy regarding publicity to keep the momentum in tourist flow constant. “We will not release the tourism data this time. But we will continue to promote tourism; the numbers and our success ratio will remain with us,” he said.
CM Omar further said, “Our main tourism markets are Gujarat, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. We are trying our best to revive traffic from these states. I cannot declare we have fully succeeded, but it feels like tourism has gradually revived since the snowfall started.”
Even as the Chief Minister talked about his strategy not to disclose any tourism related data, officials disclosed the figures. According to the officials, Kashmir welcomed over 10.47 lakh domestic tourists and 21,361 foreign tourists in 2025, bringing the total footfall to approximately 10.68 lakh visitors.
Meanwhile, reflecting on a challenging previous year, Chief Minister said, “2025 was difficult for us. Just as tourism was beginning to recover, the Delhi bomb blast proved to be another setback, following the deadliest Pahalgam terror attack earlier in the year.”

(Straight Talk Communications)