New Delhi:

A travel operator from Srinagar, reportedly said: “We know tourists have by and large been safe in Kashmir but with such an incident happening here, one cannot expect them to stay back. The cancellations are massive, close to 80 per cent.” He pointed out that there were cancellations of packages for next one month too.

The once jam-packed hotels wear a deserted look now. An eerie silence resonates restaurants that buzzed with activity just 2-3 days back. Pahalgam, in particular, looks like a ghost town.

Against this backdrop, CM Omar Abdullah said it was “heartbreaking” to see the exodus of tourists. Taking to X, he wrote: “It’s heartbreaking to see the exodus of our guests from the valley after yesterday’s tragic terror attack in Pahalgam but at the same time we totally understand why people would want to leave. While DGCA & the Ministry of Civil Aviation are working to organise extra flights, NH-44 between Srinagar & Jammu has been reconnected for traffic in a single direction.”

There are long, serpentine queues of vehicles stretching at Srinagar’s Sheikh-ul-Alam International Airport, as a mass exodus of tourists from Kashmir takes place. The Pahalgam terror attack has left visitors dazed and petrified. They are scrambling to leave the Valley as quickly as possible. This fear and anxiety is evident in people at the airport who are trying to exit Kashmir. A tourist said they have shortened their schedule and are now leaving the region.

Bookings for tourists visiting Kashmir have also been significantly cancelled. According to one estimate, over 2 lakh bookings have been cancelled. Authorities are making every effort for the safe return of the visitors to their respective home states.

The security across the Valley has been beefed up and every person is being frisked. Search operation is also underway to nab the terrorists. All roads leading to Pahalgam have been sealed.

It takes a huge toll on region’s tourism

A hoteliers participated in the shutdown call given against the Pahalgam attack. They feel it is high time that the tourism, hospitality stakeholders, and the local administration joins hands and condemns the violence, because eventually, it is a hit the local economy and the livelihoods of numerous people who depend on tourism to sustain their families.

Tourism plays a key role in Jammu and Kashmir’s economy, contributing 8.47 per cent to the GDP. Officials stated that Kashmir’s tourist destinations saw a record three million visitors last year, a marked rise from 2.7 million in 2023 and 2.67 million in 2022. It was zooming. But with Pahalgam attack, everything has come to a standstill. It will be a long road to recovery, indeed!

Hotel and restaurant owners, along with other stakeholders, have been hit the hardest. Most of the popular spots in the Valley have emptied out. The tourist season had just started, but the Pahalgam attack brought it to an screeching halt. The terrorist strike is also a massive strike on tourism. And it will take years to rebuild the broken trust and revive the once-thriving industry to its former glory.

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