NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism department has gone on an overdrive to attract tourists for the forthcoming winter season by offering helicopter services for picturesque Gulmarg and Pahalgam.

Tourism Secretary Farooq Shah gave the details during his interaction with leading tour operators of the national capital and Mumbai.

“Tourists, after landing at the Srinagar airport, can hop on to the helicopter and reach Gulmarg or Pahalgam within no time. The helicopter services will help giving a boost to winter tourism,” he said.

There are many Indians who travel to Switzerland for skiing, he said, adding but the Jammu and Kashmir Government is offering similar facilities at a much lower price in the State.

He described the launch of helicopter services and air safaris as a big initiative and hoped that these will have a multiplier effect with more and more upmarket travellers preferring chopper travel directly from the airport to the Valley’s premier tourist destinations like Gulmarg and Pahalgam to save time.

Rs 10,000 will be charged for to and fro helicopter travel for Gulmarg while the price for return journey for Pahalgam has been fixed at Rs 12,000. (AGENCIES)