Christmas celebrations on December 25, 2025, gave a big boost to Kashmir’s struggling tourism. Hundreds of local and domestic tourists gathered in Gulmarg and Pahalgam, two key tourist spots hit by terror attacks earlier this year. Saint Mary Church in Gulmarg, lit up and covered in snow, became a major attraction. Tourist Naresh Kumar from New Delhi said, "Gulmarg provides a perfect backdrop for Christmas celebrations. Snow, bells tolling and festivities all round." Hotel occupancy rose sharply from around 20% to 70%, with 2300 beds available in Gulmarg. In Pahalgam, a six-year-old tourist, Maira Gupta from Maharashtra, inaugurated the ongoing winter festival. A tourism official noted, "Maira won millions of hearts in Kashmir by inaugurating the winter festival, which will continue till the New Year." Srinagar’s summer capital hosted the Christmas Kehwa Fest by Dal Lake, celebrating the local saffron tea. Baber Chowdhary, head of the J&K Hotel and Restaurant Association, said, "Our focus is the revival of tourism. These initiatives will bring a big change for Kashmir tourism." Recent heavy snowfall in Kashmir’s upper areas boosted tourist numbers further. Waseem Raja, Joint Director of Tourism Department, confirmed, "Footfall has increased significantly since the snowfall. Several hotels are packed. It’s picking up." Kashmir faced a 40% drop in tourist visits this year due to the Pahalgam terror attack and a military standoff between India and Pakistan. Mr. Raja said Christmas helped unite locals and tourists in celebration. "Kashmir has the tradition of joining the celebration of major festivals. We saw locals joining tourists to celebrate Christmas. We are hopeful of people getting together to celebrate New Year and Lohri," he added. To build on this momentum, the tourism department plans more events and roadshows across India. "Upcoming months are packed with promotional events. We are working on winter tourism and next year’s spring tourism," Mr. Raja said.