Kashmir's slopes are free of snow - and tourists
The Guardian Weekly|February 02, 2024
As evening draws near, Bashir Ahmad Bhat is still waiting for his first customer of the day. Seven years ago, Bhat, 34, gave up his job as a driver to work in Gulmarg's tourism sector. January is peak season at India's premier ski resort, attracting amateur and professional skiers from around the world.
Azhar Qadri
Kashmir's slopes are free of snow - and tourists

The father of two usually earns good money during the four months when Gulmarg, in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir region, is covered in a thick layer of fine powder snow. This season, however, has been a disaster. There was only light snowfall in late January and just one day of snow in December. "It has been a complete loss," said Bhat. "We have never seen such a situation in our lifetime."

Gulmarg is a picturesque town on the western edge of the Kashmir valley. Thousands of people work in the tourism industry, which accounts for 7% of Jammu and Kashmir's annual GDP, which was 2,279bn rupees ($27.4bn) in 2022-23. More than 2.25 million visitors were predicted to visit the region last year, according to the territory's lieutenant-governor, a figure that includes pilgrims as well as tourists.

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