Big dip in visitors, 30% occupancy in hotels: Kashmir tourism ‘limping back’ but long way still to go, say stakeholders

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Make us preferred source on Google Whatsapp twitter Facebook Reddit PRINT A year on from the terror attack that killed 25 tourists and a local man in the Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam, it continues to cast a shadow on Kashmir’s tourism industry. Tourism, a critical driver of Kashmir’s economy, had come to a near standstill in the aftermath of the April 22, 2025, attack. Now, the industry is slowly getting back on its feet, but tourist numbers are still far from the boom witnessed in Kashmir between 2022 and 2025. The steep drop in the number of visitors to witness the colourful bloom of the tulips at Srinagar’s Tulip Garden, which marks the beginning of Kashmir’s tourism season, showed the gravity of the situation. From March 26 to April 24 last year, 8.55 lakh visitors, the majority of them domestic tourists, visited the garden that closed two days after the attack. This year, from March 16 to April 16, the number of people who visited the garden was just 3.90 lakh, less than half of last year’s number. “Even as the main tourist season has started, we barely have 30-35% bookings,” said Abdul Wahid Malik, president of the Kashmir Hotels and Restaurant Owners Federation (KHAROF). He recalled that 2024 had been a great year for tourism and that the first few months of 2025 had shown promise of it being even better. That was before the terror attack. “We had a great tourist season in 2024. The first four months of last year were better than even 2024. There is no way we can match those figures now,” he said. Around 26 lakh tourists visited Kashmir in 2024, and the first four months of 2025 recorded the arrival of 6,40,000 visitors to the Valley. But it was when the main tourist season started last year that the attack on tourists in Pahalgam, by Pakistan-based terrorists, took place. In the eight remaining months of last year after the Pahalgam attack, only four lakh tourists arrived in Kashmir. Immediately after the attack on tourists, the Union Territory administration shut down 49 tourist destinations, including famous spots like Betab valley in Pahalgam, Thajiwas glacier in Sonamarg, Dodapathri, and Yusmarg, to visitors. While many of these destinations have since been reopened for tourists, Kashmir’s famous trekking trail and adventure tourism destinations continue to remain shut. “Adventure tourism has completely stopped,” said Rauf Tramboo, CEO of the Highland Journeys, a prominent adventure travel company, adding, “We get lots of queries from adventure lovers across the country, but we ask them to wait. The young boys who had come into the adventure tourism industry in the last few years are devastated. They have bank loans to pay, rent and staff expenses, but no work.” A large number of adventure tourists visit Kashmir for the famous seven-day trek or hiking tours to high-altitude alpine lakes, which have remained shut since the Pahalgam attack. Tramboo said it is also difficult to instil confidence among travellers when many tourist destinations continue to remain no-go zones for tourists: “It doesn’t help.” However, he is hopeful that the worst days may be over, saying, “I can’t say it (the tourism industry) is reviving, but yes, it is limping back. But we still have a long, long way to go.” Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. Expertise and Experience Two Decades of Frontline Reporting: Bashaarat has spent 20 years documenting the evolution of Kashmir, from high-intensity conflict and political shifts to socio-economic development. Award-Winning Investigative Journalism: He is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2012). This honor was bestowed for his reporting on the Pathribal fake encounter, a series of stories that highlighted his ability to handle sensitive human rights and security issues with investigative rigor. Specialized Beats: His authoritative coverage spans: Political Transitions: Tracking the shift from statehood to Union Territory, electoral dynamics, and the pulse of local governance. Security & Conflict: Providing nuanced reporting on counter-insurgency, civil liberties, and the impact of the conflict on the civilian population. Development: Documenting the infrastructure, healthcare, and educational landscape within the Valley. Academic Background: He holds a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir, providing him with a localized academic and professional foundation that is rare in regional reporting. ... Read More Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram