Most awaited Kumrat Snow and Cultural Festival next month: DC Dir Upper.

PESHAWAR -- Preparations kicked off for the smooth conduct of the most awaited Kumrat Snow and Culture Festival in February this year in scenic Kumrat valley in Dir Upper, Deputy Commissioner Dir Upper Shahab Hamid Yousafzai told reporter on phone here on Sunday.

He said last year, the same festival was called off because of COVID-19 and hopefully this year in February the festival would be organized in befitting manners with the collaboration of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KP-CTA).

The event was aimed at promoting winter tourism in the picturesque Kumrat valley and attracting tourists to the scenic spots of the province, he said. The festival would feature jeep and horse races, snow rugby, snow wrestling, snow race, snow art, snow ball fighting, snow culture lighting, kite flying and colours competitions, skating, painting and other activities, he added.

Traditional music, cultural dance and fashion shows are also part of the festival to entertain tourists and visitors, Mr. Shahab said. He said Kumrat was one of the scenic sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where a large number of tourists used to come to visit in summer. He said this year the festival was being organized in winter as it has become more attractive after the recent heavy snowfall. 'We are making things quickly so as to keep-on the attraction of snow,' Mr. Yousafzai informed.

Organizing the event in the winter season, he said, was aimed at attracting more and more tourists to the beautiful spots of the province and present a soft image of the people to the outer world. He said several events, including Swat Snow Marathon, Malam Jabba Winter Sports Festival, Galiyat Snow festival, International Snowboarding competitions, Hindukush Snow Sports and Madaklasht festival and zip-lining had been arranged during the winter to boost tourism in the scenic valleys of the province. These festivals, he said, had attracted a large number of tourists, both international and domestic, to the serene spots in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said, social activist and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf local leader, Anwar Ali, from Byar, and District Sports Officer Dir Upper (DSO)...