Srinagar, April 23: Until April 22, Kashmir was abuzz with tourists. Hotels across the region had over 80 percent bookings until June. However, following the recent terror attack, 80 percent of these bookings have been cancelled. Pahalgam has been completely sealed off, and the popular tourist spot now wears a deserted look.
On Wednesday, there were only security personnel guarding the streets. All the tourists had left Pahalgam on Tuesday night.
Umar Ahmad, who runs two hotels in Pahalgam, said he had 100 percent bookings till June.
“I have two hotels with a total of 40 rooms. All reservations have been cancelled after the attack. Sixteen people work in my hotels, and now I don’t know how I will pay their salaries,” he said while sitting outside his hotel.
Pahalgam has around 130 hotels offering nearly 3,000 rooms. However, it currently looks deserted, with only security personnel and a few hoteliers present.
Prominent houseboat owner Tariq Ahmad Patloo, who owns four houseboats with a total of 15 rooms, also suffered losses.
“We had 100 percent bookings till June. Around 80 percent of tourists have cancelled their reservations. The terrorists have not only taken innocent lives but also destroyed our livelihoods. Our economy is shattered. We don’t know how to feed our families. These terrorists are the real enemies of Kashmiris,” Patloo said.
On Wednesday, only a handful of tourists could be seen around Dal Lake.
Similarly, in other tourist destinations like Sonamarg and Gulmarg, 70 percent of bookings have been cancelled.
“In Gulmarg, 70 percent of tourists have cancelled. We haven’t received any new bookings since yesterday,” said Mohammad Ayoub, a hotelier in Gulmarg.
“We had booked a hotel for the night of April 22 near Dal Lake. But after the attack, we fled, like many other tourists. We stayed in Srinagar for the night and left for home early on April 23,” said Yogesh Sharma, a tourist from Rajasthan.
Tour operator Ashik Bhat said he hasn’t received any new bookings since the attack. “I had 120 tourist bookings till June, and almost 70 have been cancelled. Many are asking for refunds,” he added.
Gulzar Ahmad Wani, president of the Pahalgam Taxi Association, strongly condemned the attack, saying:
“I condemn this attack in the strongest terms. It’s not just tourists who have been targeted — it’s our livelihood, our families. We don’t see them as tourists; to us, it feels as if our own family members have been killed. Pahalgam has always been a peaceful place, and our survival depends on tourism.”
The situation in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk is also tense. Tourists who would usually enjoy the evening atmosphere there were nowhere to be seen. On Tuesday night, Lal Chowk wore a deserted look, with only a few tourists spotted near Dal Lake. (KINS)
