KL Desk
Srinagar
Around 2 lakh domestic and foreign tourists visited Valley over a period of three months, official sources told KNS.
Winter sports events are likely to attract huge number of visitors in coming months with a record number of foreign tourists expected to arrive in the valley during the winter, they added.
According to sources, in September 2012 seventy thousands tourists visited Valley, in October the number of visiting tourists was sixty thousand and in November it was 65 thousand. “2950 foreign tourists visited in the month of September, 2864 in October and 2550 in November”, the sources added.
Meanwhile, Director Tourism Talat Parvez claimed that the department is making efforts on war footing basis to attract tourists and provide quality high end facilities to the tourists. He said the main focus of the department was to promote tourism through winter sports during the winter months.
Pertinently, all roads of the Valley led to famous ski-resort Gulmarg as the mountain-locked bowl witnessed an unprecedented rush of tourists and locals to celebrate the New Year on Sunday.
The state government for the first time had organized a sophisticated cracker-show to welcome the New Year in an exciting way. Some hotels in the ski-resort had also given special packages including heavy discounts on accommodation and food to the tourists.
Starting of winter sports at the New Year celebrations has sent a message across the world that Valley is enjoyable in all seasons, claimed officials
Thirteen lac tourists had visited Valley last year while more than six lakh Pilgrims had visited Amarnath Cave in year 2012.
