Kashmir industry stares at huge losses as cancellations pour in after attack. “There has already been a 25 per cent drop in the 80 per cent of bookings that had been secured. People are calling up and cancelling. This trend will only worsen in the days ahead, immediately after the attack. The losses will be massive—this season is as good as lost
Tourists are seen near the Dal Lake, on April 23, a day after the Pahalgam terror attack. Pic/PTI
With a large number of trip and ticket cancellations for Kashmir, tourism professionals and officials say the region is now staring at massive losses over the next few months.
“There has already been a 25 per cent drop in the 80 per cent of bookings that had been secured. People are calling up and cancelling. This trend will only worsen in the days ahead, immediately after the attack. The losses will be massive—this season is as good as lost. The government must intervene to protect tourists’ interests and ensure that fear is removed from people's minds,” said Uday Kadam, vice-president of the Maharashtra Tour Owners Association.
“J&K trips and hotels were overbooked. With train ticket and hotel booking cancellations, the losses will be huge. April’s end and the next two months—May and June—comprise peak tourist season. The hit won’t just be to the local economy but also to the larger tourism industry,” an official said.
“We strongly condemn the dastardly attack on tourists. This incident will severely impact the tourism sector. Cancellations have already started, and new bookings won’t come in anytime soon. It’s impossible to gauge the full extent of the losses yet, but it will be significant. With the Amarnath Yatra set to begin in two months, the government must act swiftly to restore confidence,” said Ravi Gosain, vice-president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators.
Vande Bharat function put off
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was supposed to flag off the much-awaited Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express on April 19. However, the event was cancelled at the last minute after the India Meteorological Department issued yellow and orange alerts, predicting light to moderate rain and snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir in the coming days. Sources, however, said that heightened security concerns following the terror attack also played a role in the decision to defer the event.
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