As the Pahalgam terror attack shook the soul of the nation, it has also sent Kashmir’s tourist season reeling amid massive cancellations in bookings post-attack.
A road show on Sunday morning was organised with banners reading “Welcome to Paradise” waving in the May breeze; a caravan of nearly 300 vehicles rolled out from the banks of world-famous Dal Lake.
The rally was organised by the tourism community and joined spontaneously by transporters, traders, and youth alike, sending out a powerful message in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack.
“After April 22, bookings were cancelled overnight,” recalled Amir Majeed, a prominent tour operator and the event organiser. “Hotels were empty, guides were jobless, and Shikara rides halted mid-lake. But today, this rally is our answer — Kashmir is safe, and Kashmir is ready.”
The rally started from Srinagar and made its way through south Kashmir’s Anantnag district as locals enthusiastically waved flags and offered snacks to the people, along with shouting slogans of “Aman Ka Paigham — Kashmir Ki Shaan!” (A message of peace — the pride of Kashmir!)
One of the tour operators witnessing the rally said, “It’s never about the money, but rather the identity that attackers tried to malign with the killing of innocent people.”
“Though tourism contributes 7-8 per cent to the GDP, this marks our connection to the outside world,” he added.
Meanwhile, the transporters associated with the tourism sector said the majority of the people are in debt because of bank-financed vehicles costing around Rs 8-35 lakhs.”
Due to the lack of job opportunities and good tourism numbers, more educated youth had started seeing a window of opportunity in the tourism sector. However, the terror attack on April 22 has ruined everything, said Nisar Ahmad, who runs a cab service.
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Similar concerns were expressed by Manzoor Ahmad, who invested crores in constructing a hotel on one of the prime locations outside Srinagar Airport. He said, “The hotel occupancy ratio dropped 90 per cent post Pahalgam attack.”
The terror attack left a negative impact on what was going to be the best year for tourism in 2025, as a record number of tourists were coming in March and April.
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up across Jammu and Kashmir post the April attack, with officials trying all methods to restore confidence in the tourists.
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