Five years after the picturesque Gurez Valley near the Line of Control (LoC) in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district was thrown open to commercial tourism, the Jammu and Kashmir government has announced plans to establish a tourism development authority (TDA) in the remote area that saw more than one lakh tourist arrivals in 2024.

Once considered out of bounds for civilians due to cross-border firing and militancy, Gurez is set to emerge as a new destination for nature-lovers and adventure-seekers. “Gurez valley has emerged as a popular destination and a tourism development authority will be set up for it,” chief minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds the tourism portfolio, told the assembly last week.

Last year, more than one lakh tourists visited Gurez, a significant jump from the 46,038, who visited in 2023, and 12,472 in 2022 and 5,000 in 2019-20. In 2022, Gurez received the ‘best offbeat destination’ award, while in 2023, Dawar village in Gurez was honoured with the ‘best tourism village’ award in the gold category by the Union tourism ministry. “This accolade highlights the region’s cultural richness and tourism potential,” he said.

Buoyed by the response from tourists and trekkers in summer, the UT government is approaching the Centre for developing Gurez as an all-weather destination. Surrounded by kail and pine forests, the serene valley, once on the ancient Silk Road that connected Asia with the Middle East and Europe and facilitated cultural and economic exchange, is now drawing more than dozen private investors to set up infrastructure projects like new hotels, guest houses and home stays and parks.

Till a few years ago, Gurez lacked basic facilities and today the UT government plans to link it to Kargil via Kabuli Gali for off-roading. Commercial rafting was introduced in the Kishanganga river, which acts as the LoC in many parts of the valley, in 2024. Tourists, many of them foreigners, are keen to explore the ancient villages and peaks on the edge of North Kashmir.

A recent study by the district administration and the Policy Advocacy Research Centre (PARC) to explore the tourism potential of Gurez suggested building a tunnel to make it an all-weather destination. While a road from Gurez to Kargil is being operated by the army in summer, the study suggests the opening of the Gurez-Drass road that could become a vital tourism link and could be connected to Mushkoo Valley in Kargil, developing a new tourism circuit between Ladakh and North Kashmir.

Word of caution

“Local residents will benefit from the development of infrastructure and tourist arrivals but the government should ensure the environment and our culture are not affected adversely,” says Jaffer Ahmad, 45, of Tulail village in the valley, who is a businessman.

Bilal Ahmad, a government officer who is deployed at Gurez from past one decade, said that after the destination was opened for tourism, a large number of tourists are travelling to Gulmarg.

“This place is now becoming a sought after destination, even some high-end tourists preferred to visit this place despite the lack of infrastructure. A few years ago, there was only one hotel in Gurez. Now dozens have come up in the area,” he added.

Another resident Rizwan Ahmad said more and more people from different places of Valley are coming to purchase land in Gurez. “In the past two years, many businessmen visited the place to purchase land to set up tourism ventures as they see future of tourism lies in the beautiful valleys of Gurez.”

Besides natural beauty, Gurez is filled with fresh alpine lakes, water bodies, snowy peaks. The main attraction is famous Habba Khatoon Peak (around 13,680 feet). It is named after the Valley’s famous 16th century poetess and is popular destination for trekkers. A spring on the foothills of this triangular peak is also famous among visitors.

Last year, J&K Lt governor Manoj Sinha also inaugurated the “Shinon Meeras”, the Shina Cultural Centre, curated and developed by the army and the district administration that too has become a new tourist attraction in the area through which history and culture of the place is displayed to the visitors.