MUMBAI: The terror attack in Pahalgam is set to impact tourism in Jammu and Kashmir with May, the peak month for tourist arrivals a week away and the travel and tour companies reporting a spate of cancellations following the killings.
"Tour operators are worried about not just the immediate impact but also the prolonged impact on the tourism sector. Some tour operators are optimistic that govt intervention could help minimise any long-term impact, particularly on the Amarnath Yatra, which begins in June. Domestic airlines reportedly received requests for cancellation or rescheduling of 15,000 flight tickets to Srinagar following the terrorist attack," said LocalCircles which conducted a survey to find out what people who were planning a vacation in Kashmir in 2025 are going to do with their bookings and plans.
The survey received over 21,000 responses from travellers located in over 361 districts of the country. Sixty-three percent of respondents were men, while 37% were women. Forty-one percent of respondents were from tier 1, 28% from tier 2, and 31% from tier 3, 4, 5, and rural districts, it said.
The survey asked travellers who had plans or bookings for Kashmir in 2025 about their actions, “Were you or your family planning to travel to Kashmir for vacation/religious tourism between May-December 2025?” Out of 6,807 who responded to the question, 62% stated, “yes, we were but now cancelling plans/bookings,” while 38% stated, “yes, we were, and we still are planning to travel.” To sum up, six in ten travellers surveyed who were planning to travel to Kashmir between May and December this year are likely to cancel their plans/bookings.
The fear of more terror attacks targeting tourists is likely to keep many people from visiting Kashmir for some time, it said. The survey next asked travellers, “Are you or your family likely to plan a trip to Kashmir in the next three years?” Out of 14,430 who responded to the question, 29% stated, “yes, most definitely”; 21% stated, “no, most definitely not”; 33% stated it “will depend on how the govt handles the safety situation”; 8% did not give a clear answer, and 9% stated that the question is “not applicable (Kashmir was never among our target destination to visit in the next three years).” To sum up, three in ten travellers surveyed are likely to visit Kashmir sometime in the next three years; another three in ten will decide based on govt handling of the situation.
Last month, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah informed the assembly that 2.3 crore tourists visited in 2025. According to tourism department data, 18,884,317 tourists visited J&K in 2022 and 21,180,011 in 2023.
Tourism stakeholders, who were banking on a good season free of hartal calls from separatists say the attack in Pahalgam, one of the most sought-after tourist destinations, is bound to send a negative message to visitors across the country, said Local Circles. The attack in Pahalgam, which is also a base for the Amarnath Yatra, is expected to impact the sentiments of pilgrims just as the registration process has begun. In 2023, over 21 million pilgrims visited Kashmir for the Amarnath Yatra, according to state tourism data.
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