The tourism sector in the Kashmir Valley, which was already fighting to recover following the deadly Pahalgam attack, has been dealt a fresh and significant blow. Reports linking a few Kashmiri youth to the recent deadly Delhi Red Fort blast have created widespread reluctance among tourists to visit the region.
The recovery of Kashmir tourism had been “painfully slow” since the April incident, leading many, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, to pin their hopes on early snowfall in October to naturally attract visitors.
Back-to-Back Setbacks
The fragile revival of tourism hopes was shattered by two recent security incidents:
- The Delhi Blast (November 10): A suicide car blast, allegedly driven by a Kashmir doctor, rocked the Red Fort area in Delhi, killing 12 people. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has since arrested six people linked to a “white collar terror module,” including two Kashmir doctors working outside the Union Territory.
- The Nowgam Incident (November 14): An accidental blast occurred at the Nowgam police station.
“After Pahalgam, the Delhi blast has been another setback for our tourism. The turnout is very low, almost negligible than what was expected,” said Sajad Kralyari, secretary general of the Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK). He added that people are hesitant to visit owing to the involvement of Kashmiri residents in the Delhi blast and the accidental blast in Nowgam.
Occupancy Plummets and Earlier Losses
Tourism players confirm that the marginal improvement seen during the festival season in September and October has now reversed:
- Current Occupancy: Wahid Malik, former president of the Kashmir Hotels and Restaurant Owners Federation, noted that business is “very less now.” He reported that the current occupancy is hardly 2 to 5%.
- The Pahalgam Impact: The April 22 attack in Baisaran meadow, which left 26 people (mostly tourists) dead, caused an immediate mass exodus of tourists and led the J&K government to initially close over 50 tourist destinations. Although around 28 places have been reopened in a phased manner, the flow of visitors has not returned.
Kashmir had enjoyed back-to-back record tourist arrivals from 2022 to 2024. This year, the number of visitors had reached 6 lakh until the Pahalgam incident, but the figures plummeted to only a few thousands afterward.
Hopes Pinned on Winter Season and Promotion
Despite the ongoing challenges, tourism stakeholders and the government have not lost hope, focusing on the upcoming winter season:
- Winter Games: Chairperson of the J&K Waqf Board, Darakshan Andrabi, expressed optimism for a comeback, specifically citing the upcoming Khelo India Winter Games to be held in Gulmarg. She stated her belief that “no hotel will remain empty this winter” if good snowfall occurs.
- Targeting Holiday Makers: TAAK’s Sajad Kralyari noted that they are already receiving queries about snowfall and typically attract tourists from Southern India who work in the IT sector and travel during Christmas and New Year holidays.
- Promotion: The J&K government’s public relations department is actively showcasing the region’s potential by participating in the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, setting up a dedicated pavilion to promote J&K as a premier film shooting destination.