Pahalgam terror attack: Tourists leave Kashmir, cancel travel plans

A gruesome terror attack in Pahalgam located in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday April 22 has affected the valleyrsquos tourism sector prompting existing visitors to leave and others to reconsider their future visitsThe attack which killed at least 26 people mostly tourists and injured several others took place at Baisaran a meadow accessible only by foot or horses The incident comes in the midst of Kashmirrsquos spring tourism season which attracts travellers from around the worldHowever following the attack tourists in the area have begun leaving with authorities making efforts for the safe return of the visitors to their respective home statesTourism in Kashmir affectedTour operators and other people associated with the tourism sector said that most of the tourists were leaving the valley due to fear PTI reportedWe 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 Aijaz Ali a travel operator from Srinagar told PTI adding that people were also cancelling packages for the next monthAll the good work over the past several years has gone down the drain It will take a lot of convincing to bring tourists again to Kashmir Ali addedWhile most tourists are scared and leaving the area some are staying backWe have come out of hotel rooms and we do not feel any fear There is security everywhere We have plans to visit Pahalgam and if the situation remains good then we may go there tomorrow a woman tourist from Maharashtra told PTIWe have come from Mumbai we thought now we have to return but the hotel staff made us feel safe and comfortable They told us we can move around We came out and saw that here is police and army everywhere and tourists are feeling secure We can safely move around and the fear is decreasing now she addedUnion Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat asserted that his ministry will do their best to minimise the dent on tourism in Jammu and KashmirI am in touch with everybody my office too my secretary is also in touch with the tourism secretary in Jammu and Kashmir the chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir We are in continuous touch and keeping an eye on that And we will do our best to minimise the dent on tourism in Kashmir because of this incident and tourism across the country he told reporters according to PTIMeasures for safe return of touristsWhile Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said it was heartbreaking to see the exodus of visitors he revealed measures taken to facilitate their safe returnIts heartbreaking to see the exodus of our guests from the valley after yesterdays tragic terror attack in Pahalgam but at the same time we totally understand why people would want to leave While DGCA amp the Ministry of Civil Aviation are working to organise extra flights NH44 between Srinagar amp Jammu has been reconnected for traffic in a single direction Abdullah posted on XIve directed the administration to facilitate traffic between Srinagar and Jammu allowing tourist vehicles to leave This will have to be done in a controlled and organised way because the road is still unstable in places and we are also working hard to clear all the stranded vehicles We will not be able to permit completely free movement of vehicles at the moment and we hope that everyone will cooperate with us he addedItrsquos heartbreaking to see the exodus of our guests from the valley after yesterdayrsquos tragic terror attack in Pahalgam but at the same time we totally understand why people would want to leave While DGCA amp the Ministry of Civil Aviation are working to organise extra flightshellip pictwittercom5O3i5U1rBhmdash Omar Abdullah OmarAbdullah April 23 2025According to PTI the Civil Aviation Ministry has directed airlines to ensure there is no surge in airfares on the Srinagar route Indian airlines like Air India and IndiGo are also operating additional flights on Wednesday April 23 from Srinagar to Mumbai and DelhiWith inputs from PTIatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params