Kashmir tourism crumbles after Pahalgam terror attack; industry faces peak-season crisis

Just days ago, Shikara rides on Srinagar’s Dal Lake and treks through Pahalgam’s pine forests painted a picture of serenity. But tourism across Jammu and Kashmir has nearly ground to a halt following the deadly terror attack on 22 April in Baisaran meadows, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists.

With cancellations surging in J\&K, even stakeholders in distant Ladakh are anxiously watching the potential fallout of Kashmir’s unrest on their tourism prospects.

Advertisement

Those connected to the tourism trade are now sitting idle during what is traditionally considered the peak tourist season in Kashmir.

The number of pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine in the Jammu region has also sharply declined in the aftermath of the attack.

The once-lengthy waiting list for rail tickets between Jammu and New Delhi has disappeared, with seats now easily available—even on premium trains such as Vande Bharat and Rajdhani Express.

A large proportion of tourists headed to Kashmir and pilgrims bound for Vaishno Devi typically travel by train to Jammu and continue their journey by taxi. As a result, taxi operators in the region are also left without work.

The dramatic drop in tourist arrivals has prompted airlines to slash fares—an unusual occurrence during the peak season.

The meadows of Pahalgam, which until recently echoed with the chatter of tourists, now lie silent, disturbed only by the movement of NIA and security personnel investigating the attack.

Prior to 22 April, the Valley was buzzing with visitors and industry professionals were optimistic about the season. However, more than 1.2 million advance bookings by domestic and international tourists through August were cancelled within three days of the attack, said Babar Chaudhary, President of the Hotels and Restaurants Association.

Tourism in J&K had been witnessing a sharp upswing since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, with annual visitor numbers reaching nearly 2 crore. Nearly 95 lakh pilgrims visited the Vaishno Devi shrine last year, and footfall at the Amarnath Shrine was also climbing. Hoteliers fear that the latest attack may cast a long shadow over these trends.

The annual Amarnath Yatra is scheduled to begin on 3 July. Over 5 lakh pilgrims undertook the pilgrimage to the mountain cave shrine last year.

At Srinagar Airport, the impact is already visible. On 2 May, the airport handled only 56 flights, with 3,613 arriving passengers and 2,627 departures.

In contrast, on the day of the attack (22 April), the airport saw 102 flights and 19,140 passengers. The following day, 112 flights operated, with 17,653 passengers—11,092 of them outbound.