Abrupt dry winter, with no snowfall and unusually high temperatures, in the coldest parts of Kashmir has adversely impacted the tourism sector in the Valley. Adventure tourist arrivals have hit rock bottom.
The Valley is disturbingly warmer than other places in northern India. As experts point to global warming, dry winter could also lead to flash droughts during summers.
Snowless winter has spoiled a major portion of the adventure winter sports season in Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg, even as forecasters are expecting a light snowfall later this month and in February.
Srinagar Met Centre director Mukhtar Ahmad said: “We are hopeful of light snowfall in upper reaches in the later part of January and early February, which will recharge our glaciers as well.”
“The situation is worrisome for the adventure tourist industry. We have seen a 70% decline in tourist arrivals in Gulmarg, where most of the adventure and sports events are organised in winters,” said Rouf Tramboo, president of Travel Agents Association of Kashmir. The snowless Chillai Kalan – 40-day coldest winter period starting December 21 – has marred the excitement of several tourists, who had booked hotels for winter holidays. “We were fully booked till April, but now the majority of guests are cancelling, some are rescheduling and a few are short staying,” said Muhammad Arif, a hotel manager in Gulmarg.
J&K Tourism welcomed Mudgul as their Secretary, poised to build upon the foundation laid by her predecessor Dr. Syed Abid Rasheed Shah’s tenure which notably witnessed a remarkable surge in tourism activities and numbers growing threefold, pinning J&K’s on the global tourism map.
A few feet of December snow at Sinthan Top – a mountain pass at about 12,500 feet in Anantnag district of south Kashmir, connecting Valley with Kishtwar district of Jammu – has come to the rescue of tour operators there. “I have diverted all my guests to Sinthan Top, which received early snowfall and has plenty of snow for tourists,” said Sajad Ahmad, a tour operator from Srinagar. Some of the operators in Kashmir have now taken their tourist groups to Kazakhstan to experience snow and skiing.
The Jammu & Kashmir administration officials have informed that ‘Khelo India Winter Games’, which is organised in Gulmarg and scheduled to start in the first week of February, might be deferred. To hold winter games, the ski resort needs a very thick layer of snow. “We had come to Kashmir for the first time to experience snow, but we are disappointed to see this dry meadow here,” said Kerala’s Madulekha, who along with her family has booked a hotel in Gulmarg for a week.
The dry spell has also impacted hydroelectricity generation, triggering a further increase in load shedding in an already electricity-deficit region. With rivers drying up, drinking water supply through springs and canals has also been affected.
Hundreds of locals are offering special prayers – Namaz-e-Istisqa – for rain and snowfall this winter.
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Almost half of 217 global firms cut their business travel carbon emissions by at least 50% between 2019 and 2022, analysis published on Monday found, as corporate air travel returned at a much slower pace since the pandemic than leisure flights.
Despite a global rebound, business travel has been slow to return to 2019 levels, with many corporate clients turning to video conferencing or rail trips rather than flying. Global business travel firms say this trend could hit corporate relationships, while environmentalists argue it represents an important step in minimizing overall emissions.
Advocacy group Transport and Environment has said that a 50 per cent reduction in business travel from pre-COVID levels is needed this decade to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Major companies such as tech firm SAP, accounting firm PwC and Lloyd’s Banking Group all reduced their corporate air travel emissions by more than 75 per cent compared to 2019, the Travel Smart Emissions Tracker analysis concluded.
“The way forward is collaboration with more online meetings, more travel by train and less by plane,” Denise Auclair, Travel Smart campaign manager, said in a statement.
However, the study found 21 of the companies exceeded their levels of flying compared to 2019, with L3Harris, Boston Scientific and Marriott International increasing their carbon emissions by more than 69% compared to 2019.
We are witnessing a renaissance indicative of India’s unmatched ability to rise above unprecedented challenges brought on by and following the global pandemic. If we continue to capitalise on the limitless opportunities for growth, India’s post-pandemic narrative will become even more inspirational and dynamic.
L3Harris, Boston Scientific and Marriott International did not respond to requests for comment. Airlines say the corporate travel decline could harm their business and economic growth, but robust post-pandemic consumer demand for flying has tempered fears. A joint survey by American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) and the Harvard Business Review released in September said 84 per cent of businesses believe in-person trips still bring “tangible business value”.
Business trips generated as much as half of passenger revenue at U.S. airlines before the pandemic, industry group Airlines for America estimated. This helped airlines sell high-margin premium seats and fill weekday flights.
In Europe, airlines like Air France have shifted their strategies, with others trying to make up for the business drop by selling more premium trips to leisure travellers.
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Air India has taken a significant stride in enhancing the passenger experience by introducing an integrated self-baggage drop and self-kiosk check-in service at Terminal 3 of Delhi airport, for both domestic and international flights, making it the first Indian airline to offer such a service.
Currently, this service is available for all flights bound for Australia and all domestic flights within India. With this new feature, Air India passengers can seamlessly complete the digital check-in process, including printing boarding passes and baggage tags, and drop off their luggage independently, eliminating the need to go through traditional check-in counters.
Additionally, the kiosks empower travellers to easily customise their trips by selecting preferred seats and updating frequent flyer details, among other options.
Talking about the initiativetiaitve, Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience & Ground Handling Officer, Air India, expressed, “This facility eliminates the queue waiting time for check-in over the counters and helps travelers to nearly breeze through the airport. We not only plan to extend this for flights to more countries around the world but also intend to introduce it at other airports in India as well as major airports worldwide. Our continued effort remains to simplify processes and elevate customer experience, allowing our guests to enjoy traveling as much as we love flying them.”
The introduction of the self-baggage drop facility complements the successful implementation of the DigiYatra initiative for domestic flights, adding convenience for travellers from hassle-free airport entry to managing the check-in process independently.
Recently, Air India also unveiled ‘Project Abhinandan,’ deploying specially trained Service Assurance Officers at 16 major Indian airports to proactively address passenger concerns and provide on-ground assistance across various airport touchpoints.
This accomplishment demonstrates the airport’s commitment to operational excellence and passenger satisfaction. Furthermore, it solidifies CSMIA’s status as the second airport in the Asia-Pacific region to secure this esteemed certification, setting industry standards. The airport’s recent initiatives, including customer journey mapping and monitoring customer experience indicators, have contributed significantly to its Level 4 accreditation.
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