Srinagar, Jan. 9 -- After months of silence, tourists destinations of the Valley-Sonmarg, Pahalgam and Gulmarg- again echoed with cheerful voices with nearly one lakh visitors, including international skiers, choosing the snow covered picturesque towns as their destinations for celebrating Christmas and New Year. Popular hubs such as Gulmarg, Pahalgam, and Sonamarg, reported full hotel occupancy, fuelled by timely December snowfall. World famous ski resort witnessed the arrival of more than 50,000 tourists in the last week of December, including more than 500 foreigners. As per official records, on the occasion of Christmas, 82 foreigners and 8,000 domestic tourists visited Gulmarg. Likewise, on the last day of the year, more than 8,000 tourists and 25 foreigners visited the place. Majority of foreigners visit Gulmarg for skiing, however the number of foreigners will go up from mid January as the ski slopes will be seeing all type of skiing, including heliskiing. Gulmarg is known for its powdery snow which is considered best for skiing across the globe. "We got married and decided to visit to Kashmir as we saw beautiful snow pictures of Gulmarg and Sonamarg. We don't feel any threat here. The people were so friendly, and the police and J&K tourist and administration officers were very cooperative. It was an enjoyable trip and now we will visit Pahalgam before leaving for Jammu," said Ankit from Maharashtra. Another family said they came to Gulmarg for skiing. "During snowfall this place looks no less than a paradise. We didn't feel any threat here, despite what happened in Pahalgam. The atmosphere was peaceful and everybody was ready to help us. This is the second time I am coming to this place for skiing along with my children," said Ramesh Kumar from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. The resurgence of domestic influx marks a turning point after the 90% booking cancellation following the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack. There has been a discreet security overhaul, including facial recognition at checkpoints and mandatory C-type monitoring in hotels; road-opening parties and enhanced patrolling designed to feel non-intrusive. Kashmir tourism's recovery had been slow this year after the attack in which 25 tourists and a local resident were killed. Tourists also returned to Pahalgam in good number on the New Year's eve raising hopes of the tourism players. "It has been a great feeling after coming to J&K and visiting Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Sonamarg. Earlier, there were concerns regarding safety but they all got clear once I reached here. Not even a single incident or talking to people made me feel that I should not have come here. Everybody has been so helpful and restful," said Amit Verma, from Haryana who was with a group in Pahalgam on New Year. Many, including chief minister Omar Abdullah, had pinned their hopes on weather to attract more tourists after the setback to the tourism sector. Pahalgam tourism development authority (PDA) organised a winter carnival around the new year's eve. The markets in Pahalgam remained open till late in the night and the hustle and bustle returned which had been missing after the April 22 attack. Chief executive officer, PDA, Mir Nasrool Hilal said that hotel and restaurants were showing greater occupancy after months of slow business. "We did not expect such buzz and participation from people. Locals and tourists participated in greater numbers after the festival which started on December 25 and continued for over 10 days. After many days we also felt good about traffic jams. Pahalgam is regaining its vibrancy," Mir said. A tourism official in Pahalgam said that Pahalgam footfall is increasing day by day and things appear on the right track after the downfall in April. "In comparison to summer, we have a good number of tourists in January. Daily around 3,500- 4,000 domestic tourists from various parts of the country converge in the while the local also come with 50-60% staying for the night. This is very encouraging," the official said, not wishing to be named. Similarly, the tourist resort of Sonamarg in central Kashmir's Ganderbal has given another shot in the arm to winter tourism in the valley after becoming an all weather tourist destination following the opening of Sonamarg tunnel in January. "Sonamarg has definitely gained more popularity since tourists are able to access the place now in winter as well. On New Year's eve and onwards Sonamarg was sold out like Gulmarg. Vast meadows, ice cold streams and snowfall is the USP of Sonamarg," said secretary general of travel agents association of Kashmir, Sajad Kralyari....