SRINAGAR: A month-long slump in tourism activities across Jammu and Kashmir has severely impacted those associated with the sector, with stakeholders saying it has now become difficult to even manage daily expenses.
Tourism activity began to decline soon after 26 people—mostly tourists—were killed in the terrorist attack in the Baisaran area of Pahalgam on April 22, 2025.
Houseboat owners, tour operators, shikara owners and cab drivers are now desperately hoping for a revival of the tourism sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
Gowhar Ahmad, a houseboat owner from Dal Lake, Srinagar, said that since the Pahalgam attack, bookings have been severely affected.
“Dal Lake is deserted; the usual bustle of tourists is surely missed. Our houseboats are almost empty, with about 90 per cent of bookings cancelled. There are no new bookings, not even for ordinary days,” he said.
Ahmad added, “We are hopeful that the middle of June and the month of July will bring better days and that bookings will resume. Right now, we are facing huge losses.”
He noted that during this time of year, their houseboats used to be fully occupied. “Currently, only about five per cent of tourists are in the Valley,” he added.
Zahid Ahmad, a tour and travel operator, said the Pahalgam attack has cast a long shadow over operations. “Clients who were scheduled to visit Kashmir have cancelled their bookings. There are no fresh bookings at this time,” he said, adding that restoring tourist confidence will require time and coordinated efforts.
Ghulam Mohammad, a shikara owner, said he waits daily for tourists. “But nobody comes,” he lamented. “The lake is quiet, and so is my livelihood. We yearn for the days when laughter and joy filled these waters.”
“Earlier we didn’t even have time for lunch. Now, we sit idle, longing for those days when we had people to ferry in our shikaras,” he said.
Zubair Ahmad, a cab driver, said that earlier, they used to get at least two trips to Pahalgam or Gulmarg every two days. “But since the attack, there’s hardly any work. Tourists are scared, and most days we sit idle. It’s becoming difficult to even manage our daily expenses,” he said.
He added, “We have loans and EMIs hanging over our heads, and now we are worried about how to pay them. For the past month, we have been in depression, waiting for tourists while our vehicles remain parked at the stands.”
Hoteliers also said that tourism activities have been badly affected. “We have hardly been attending to guests since the Pahalgam attack. We hope the situation improves soon and tourism is revived, so stakeholders can heave a sigh of relief,” a hotelier said. (KNO)
