Approximately 12 tourist destinations across Jammu and Kashmir, which had been temporarily closed for nearly six months following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in April, were officially reopened on Monday. The decision came after a comprehensive security review by the Union Territory’s administration.
The closures, which initially affected nearly 50 tourist spots, were implemented after the attack on April 22 at Baisaran in the Pahalgam area, where heavily armed terrorists killed 26 people, primarily tourists.
Reopening Cleared by Unified Headquarters
The reopening of the sites was cleared during a Unified Headquarters (UHQ) meeting chaired by J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in Srinagar on Friday.
Following the meeting, LG Sinha announced the decision on his social media platform, stating: “After a thorough security review and discussion in today’s UHQ Meeting, I’ve ordered reopening of more tourist spots in Kashmir and Jammu Divisions, which were temporarily closed as precautionary measures.”
List of Reopened Tourist Locations
A total of twelve sites—seven in the Kashmir division and five in the Jammu division—have been cleared to reopen starting Monday.
Seven Reopened Tourist Spots in Kashmir Division:
- Aru Valley
- Rafting Point Yanner
- Akkad Park
- Padshahi Park
- Kaman Post
- Wazir Bagh (Visuals shared by PTI)
- Dara Shikoh Garden (Visuals shared by PTI)
Five Reopened Tourist Spots in Jammu Division:
- Dagan Top, Ramban
- Dhaggar in Kathua
- Shiv Cave in Salal
- Reasi
- (A fifth location in Jammu was not explicitly named in the official statement outlining the five spots.)
The decision follows concerns raised by J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah regarding the prolonged closure of tourist sites, which are vital for promoting tourism in the region.
Phased Reopening After Earlier Move
This marks the second phase of reopening, as the LG administration had previously announced the reopening of 16 destinations (eight each in Kashmir and Jammu divisions) on June 17. At that time, LG Sinha had assured the public that additional tourist spots would be reopened in a phased manner following necessary security assessments.
The tourism sector in Kashmir has seen record numbers in recent years, with official figures showing that 34.98 lakh tourists visited the Himalayan valley last year, up from 31.55 lakh in 2023 and 26.73 lakh in 2022.