SRINAGAR: Tourist arrivals in the Kashmir valley have fallen sharply following the recent attack in Pahalgam. As a result, flight operations to and from Srinagar have been reduced by half. The drop in demand has also led to a significant fall in airfares.
As reported by Times Now, one-way air tickets from Delhi to Srinagar, which were recently priced from Rs 13,000, are now available for as low as Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,800. Similarly, flights from Mumbai that had earlier reached Rs 25,000 are now being sold for under Rs 6,000.
Stakeholders in the tourism sector have raised concerns over the airline pricing model. According to Times Now, industry players say that while ticket prices rise steeply during high demand, they fall just as quickly when demand drops. This pattern is seen as unhelpful in creating a stable tourism environment.
Before the attack, tourism in Jammu and Kashmir had seen a steady recovery in 2023 and 2024. Tourist numbers had increased in locations such as Gulmarg, Sonamarg, and Pahalgam. The Amarnath Yatra in 2024 had nearly five lakh pilgrims, a significant rise compared to the pandemic years.
However, the recent attack has disrupted this growth. The incident occurred at a time when there was a general belief that Kashmir was safe for travel. Following the attack, there have been widespread cancellations of hotel bookings and tour packages.
