Gulmarg Gondola boom leaves traditional workforce struggling for share

Baramulla, Apr 5: The Gulmarg Gondola has emerged as one of Jammu and Kashmir’s largest tourism revenue generators, earning over Rs 220 crore during the past two financial years (2022–23 and 2023–24).

However, despite record earnings, local stakeholders say the economic benefits are not adequately reaching those who depend on traditional tourism services in Gulmarg.

Ponywallas, guides, labourers and small traders allege that the tourism surge driven by the gondola has not translated into proportional income growth for them.

 Official estimates indicate that Gulmarg’s tourism ecosystem includes around 1,800 ponywallas, 1,100 guides, 1,200 sledge operators, 1,000 helpers and nearly 300 ATV operators.

According to Tariq Ahmad, President of the Ponywalla Association Gulmarg, the destination’s identity has increasingly narrowed to the gondola experience. He said that earlier, authorities capped gondola rides at around 3,500 visitors per day, ensuring a balanced flow of tourists across other services.

He claimed that in recent years, the cap has effectively been removed, with daily footfall rising to 6,000–7,000 visitors across the first and second phases of the ride.

“Gulmarg is not just about the gondola,” Ahmad said, adding that limiting rides previously encouraged tourists to explore the destination through pony rides, guided tours and other local services.

“This ensured income for all stakeholders. Now, most of the revenue flows to the cable car system while others struggle,” he said.

Local ponywallas say tourist behaviour has also shifted significantly. Mushtaq Ahmad, a pony operator, noted that visitors earlier stayed longer and engaged with multiple services.

“Tourists used to spend days here—taking pony rides, hiring guides and shopping locally. Now many come only for the gondola ride and leave the same day,” he said.

Traders in the market echoed similar concerns, stating that although footfall has increased, actual sales have declined due to shorter stays.

“Visitors are coming in larger numbers, but business has not improved proportionately,” a local shopkeeper said.

Stakeholders describe the situation as a widening “trickle-down gap,” where tourism revenues remain concentrated within the gondola system, with limited integration of local services into the broader visitor experience.

They have called for policy measures to ensure more equitable distribution of benefits, including better tourist dispersal, promotion of local experiences and structured engagement of traditional service providers in the tourism value chain.