The Indo-Pak conflict has started impacting the Char Dham pilgrimage and tourism in Uttarakhand, with more than half of the hotel and flight bookings cancelled in the last 2-3 days. Hoteliers in tourist destinations like Mussoorie and Nainital are not receiving new bookings.

Nearly half of the advance hotel bookings by non-religious tourists and devotees on the Char Dham Yatra routes have been cancelled in the last 2-3 days. According to hoteliers, a large number of bookings on the Badrinath and Kedarnath shrine routes for May and June have been cancelled. This has caused concern among hoteliers in the state, particularly those along the Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri routes, as their economy depends on tourism.

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A significant number of hoteliers in the Uttarakhand hills are those who invest substantial amounts to acquire hotels on lease for a certain period, keeping in view the tourist season during the Char Dham Yatra. These hotel owners are now worried about their businesses as tourism often dips after June due to the monsoon season. Apart from this, tourists, mainly from Maharashtra, West Bengal, and southern states, who usually travel by air for the Char Dham pilgrimage, have also cancelled their flights following the Government of India’s decision to close several airports. This has also led to further cancellations of hotel bookings.

Speaking to the media, Uttarakhand Char Dham Hotel Association President Rajesh Mehta said, “Many flights have been cancelled due to the closure of several airports across the country amid the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan. A majority of the devotees coming for the Char Dham Yatra from South Indian states first travel to Delhi or directly to Dehradun by air. In light of the difficulties caused by the closure of airports, devotees are now cancelling hotel bookings.”

Atul Shah, a hotelier on the Badrinath route in Chamoli, said that most of his bookings from May 15 to June 10 have been cancelled. He added that he and other hoteliers have started returning the booking amounts to devotees.

The Char Dham pilgrimage has been severely affected within just 2-3 days of the India-Pakistan conflict. Now, only one or two rooms are booked compared to almost 100 percent bookings earlier, claimed TP Thapliyal, a hotelier in Chamoli on the Badrinath route.

The situation is similar for hotel owners in hill towns like Mussoorie and Nainital. May and June are considered the peak tourism season, but the number of visitors has significantly dropped in the last 2-3 days. While hotel bookings in Mussorie, known as the ‘Queen of Hills’, have fallen to nearly 40 percent, more than 90 percent of advance bookings from May 15 to June have been cancelled in Nainital.