The reports coming from the Valley regarding the fall of tourist arrival proved that the gruesome Pahalgam attack on April 22, 2025 was a strategic blow aimed at affecting the region’s most visible peace dividend viz. tourism.
Its reverberations are still being felt across hotels, Shikaras, transport industry and handicraft stalls and thousands of families whose livelihoods hinge on visitors coming and staying safe.
No doubt, the government at the centre has been claiming that it has avenged the ghastly terror attack by success of operation Sindoor but as far as tourism sector in J&K is concerned, reportedly things are still snarling and hopes of the stakeholders are dwindling with passing day as this sector which is one of the mainstays of J&K continues to struggle nearly six months after the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 25 tourists and a local guide. With the winter season approaching, hopes for recovery remain fragile, and businesses dependent on tourism are facing unprecedented challenges.
Reports have been suggesting that hotels across the Valley are reporting occupancy rates down by 70–80 percent, tourist taxi operators remain largely idle, and shikara operators on Dal Lake are struggling to sustain their livelihoods. Besides, the ripple effects are being felt across the local economy, from handicraft sellers to restaurants, with several bank accounts of tourism-related businesses turning into non-performing assets (NPAs).
What is intriguing is that those sitting at helm including CM Omar Abdullah led NC government, LG Manoj Sinha’s administration, and the central government have remained busy in boasting their achievements but little has been accomplished to bring tourism back on track. This sector was further affected by the escalation of military conflict between India and Pakistan in the month of May followed by unprecedented rainfall this monsoon which led to widespread devastation by flash floods, landslides and sinking of land chunks at various places along with considerable loss of human lives and property. This was not enough because this devastation also blocked highways and other roads, disrupted train services and forced the SMVDSB to halt the pilgrimage to the famous cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi.
With stakeholders struggling to bring back tourists to J&K, it becomes necessary that the people at helm should take some out of the box steps to woo tourists once again because it is vital for sustaining lives in this tourism dependent region.
All said and done, whatever the helmsmen have been doing right now in this direction is not enough and therefore more has to be accomplished to revive tourism as it was before April 22, this year.
