Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Feb 20: Tourist arrivals to ski resort Gulmarg have picked up sharply ahead of the Khelo India Winter Games (KIWG) 2026, with officials attributing the surge to the Centre’s push to link sports with tourism under the ‘Khelo Bharat Niti’.
The snow events of the sixth edition of the Khelo India Winter Games will be held in Gulmarg from February 23 to 26 under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Officials said there has been a visible increase in tourist arrivals ahead of the Games, with hotels and guest houses reporting brisk advance bookings.
“Tourist inflow has picked up significantly after the New Year and in the run-up to the Winter Games,” an official said, adding that final figures for the first quarter would be available after March 31.
Another official noted that Kashmir witnessed a sharp dip in tourist arrivals in 2025 following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, receiving around 10.47 lakh domestic tourists compared to approximately 26 lakh in 2024.
“This year, however, arrivals have already surpassed last year’s numbers, even before the end of the first quarter,” he said.
According to the officials, Gulmarg currently has around 2,300 beds in hotels and huts, of which more than 50 per cent have already been booked for the duration of the Games.
Local stakeholders said the event has revived economic activity in the region.
Abeed, a hotelier in Tangmarg, said bookings had surged weeks in advance.
“When the Games happen, Gulmarg feels like the heart of the country,” he said, adding that athletes from Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala, Telangana and J&K were staying at his property.
On the slopes of Kongdoori, sledge pullers Altaf Hussain and Muhammad Rafiq said the Games mark the peak of their earning season.
Charging between Rs 500 and Rs 1,500 per trip depending on distance and duration, they said they can earn between Rs 1,500 and Rs 3,000 on a good day.
“When the Games start, Gulmarg comes alive,” Hussain said.
This year, Gulmarg will host four medal events – ski mountaineering, alpine skiing, Nordic skiing (cross-country) and snowboarding. India’s top skiers, including Winter Olympians, are expected to participate.
The journey of the Winter Games in Gulmarg since their inception in 2020 reflects growing participation and competitiveness.
The inaugural edition saw 1,123 athletes compete across 13 disciplines, with J&K leading the medal tally. Participation rose to 1,208 athletes in 2021, when the host Union Territory secured 18 gold medals.
In 2023, the Games recorded peak participation of 1,395 athletes, with J&K winning 26 gold, 25 silver and 25 bronze medals.
Although the 2024 and 2025 editions featured fewer disciplines and participants, competition intensified with strong performances from the Army, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka contingents.
The Khelo India Winter Games are organised under the Khelo India Scheme of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, which also conducts the Youth, University and Para Games to identify and nurture sporting talent across the country.
While the Union Territory of J&K has hosted all editions of the Winter Games, Ladakh has been hosting the ice sports segment since 2024.
Officials said the focus has now shifted from experimentation to building a long-term sporting and tourism legacy for the Himalayan region.
With athletes, officials and tourists converging on Gulmarg next week, stakeholders believe the Games will reinforce the region’s position as a premier winter sports destination in the country.
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