Mass cancellations raise distress among Kashmiri hoteliers, pony, cab and houseboat operators, tourist guides, handicraft businesses and homestay owners
"The incident happened around 1.30 pm. People staying in my hotel checked out immediately. A couple had just arrived; their families phoned and insisted they return. We are getting cancellation requests for bookings made through travel agencies as well. This is peak season for us. We will not get any visitors after the terror attack…maybe until the end of the year."
Yawar Lone, a hotelier and resident of Pahalgam, is wracked with grief, not only over Tuesday's terror attacks that have rocked his town, but also the resultant assault on his business.
Just last year, Jammu and Kashmir recorded a whopping tourist footfall of 2.36 crore, including 65,000 foreigners, the highest in a decade. However, the April 22 terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people and left 16 injured, is going to hit the Union Territory's tourism sector hard.
Besides horticulture, tourism is a significant means of livelihood in the Kashmir valley, and summer is the peak season. It will be a while before tourists pick up the courage to visit the scenic holiday spot.
Tourists frightened
"We are scared beyond words. It is a horrific experience for us," said a tourist who checked out of a hotel in Pahalgam today. "We had two more days of sightseeing in Kashmir. But we are leaving for Jammu, from where we will head home. Vacation comes secondary, we have to prioritise safety.
“We cannot visit any place carrying the fear of losing our life. We will go back home instead.”
Bijith Vakkalary, a tourist from Chennai, explained why he and his family axed their planned trip to Kashmir.
Watch | Pahalgam attack: 'Pak can't tolerate lifestyle improving in Kashmir'
"I planned a trip with my family and colleagues….Travel and accommodation were booked a month ago. We had planned to visit Pahalgam as well. My family is scared to visit Kashmir now. So, we have cancelled our plans. We don't want to take risks with family and children," he told The Federal.
Growing numbers
For years, Jammu and Kashmir has been a global tourist magnet. Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Yousmarg, Kokernag, Verinag, Doodhpatri, Srinagar and the meadows of Sonamarg are popular attractions, besides pilgrimages to Vaishno Devi and Akshardham.
Despite the pandemic, as many as 34 lakh tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir in 2020. The number surged to 1.13 crores in 2021 and further to 1.88 crores in 2022.
With pilgrimage and adventure tourism booming, the tourist footfall zoomed to 2.11 crore in 2023. The highest number in five years was recorded in 2024, when 2.36 crore tourists flocked to the region.
Kashmir's tourism industry is estimated to bring in a revenue of Rs 7,000-7,500 crore annually into the local economy. However, with mass cancellations during the peak season, the livelihoods of hoteliers, cab and pony operators, guides, travel agencies, handicraft businesses, houseboat operators and drivers is seriously impacted.
While tourists flock to Kashmir throughout the year, March-June is the busiest. The earnings made during this season are meant to last the entire year for most locals engaged in tourism-related activities.
On average, about 1.3 lakh tourists visit Kashmir every month. The numbers are typically about 2.2 lakh in April, 3.5 lakh in May and 4.5 lakh and 3.5 lakh in June and July, respectively.
Carnage, cancellations
After the terrorist attack on Tuesday, many tourists made a rush to the airport. Many more cancelled their travel plans. On Wednesday, Srinagar city observed a complete shutdown to denounce the terrorist carnage.
Also read | She was eating bhel-puri; her husband was suddenly shot | Horror accounts from Pahalgam
Bilal, a cab operator in Kashmir, told The Federal over the phone that he and his peers are highly dependent on the summer tourist traffic.
“A few of my customers were planning to visit Pahalgam but they instead requested an airport drop this morning. Many who were in Srinagar have cancelled their trip. I saw many families and couples say there is no guarantee this won't happen at other places," he said.
Bilal added that normally 300-400 vehicles come to the Srinagar airport every day to pick up tourists. There were only four or five vehicles there on Wednesday.
"So many bookings have been cancelled until the second week of May. We now see only about 5 per cent of the tourists compared to yesterday. Kashmir is largely dependent on tourism for its economy. This will directly affect our livelihood," he rued.
In a state of shock
The locals in the Kashmir Valley are in shock. Previous terrorist incidents did not target tourists directly. They say the latest bloodbath would derail their earnings as Pahalgam is one of the main tourist attractions.
"It is not just an attack on tourists, it is an attack on the economy of the Kashmir. People mainly depend on tourism for livelihood,” Shaukat, a Kashmiri handicraft shop owner, told The Federal over the phone.
View | In photos: Terror attack disrupts peace in Kashmir’s Pahalgam
According to him, there were still tourists in a few hotels in Srinagar, Gulmarg and Sonmarg. But Pahalgam hotels have emptied out.
"All businesses will be impacted. People who visit know how supportive Kashmiris are. But the ones who are yet to visit Kashmir will remain in fear," added Shaukat.
Mass cancellations
After the April 22 killings, many hotels quickly lost guests. Most hotels reported mass cancellations. Tourists who came on 7-8-day tours trimmed their stay quickly.
Yawar Lone, the hotelier quoted above, said the locals are devastated over the senseless killings.
“We want to ensure that people are safe and do not face challenges. We are giving free accommodation to stranded tourists. For those cancelling, we are giving complete refund,” he said. “We understand that people will have trust issues. Safety is of prime importance."
