'Not worth the risk...will stop urging Kashmir visits': Snapdeal co-founder Kunal Bahl after Pahalgam attack
The attack, which marked a rare instance of tourists being directly targeted, has triggered fear, cancellations, and an unraveling of a record-breaking year for Jammu and Kashmir tourism.
- Apr 23, 2025,
- Updated Apr 23, 2025 6:31 PM IST
After the terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, most of them tourists, Snapdeal co-founder Kunal Bahl on Wednesday said he will no longer urge people to visit Kashmir. Bahl said the risk is no longer worth it.
"Beauty of Pahalgam from my last trip. Despite people’s fear of going to Kashmir, I have always been the voice that’s been telling those around me to go experience its beauty, culture. Probably the best tourist destination of India. I will stop doing that now. Not worth the risk,” Bahl posted on X.
The fallout from the massacre at Baisaran meadow — a popular tourist spot near Pahalgam — has been swift and widespread. Among those killed were two foreigners from the UAE and Nepal, as well as three tourists from West Bengal. The attack, which marked a rare instance of tourists being directly targeted, has triggered fear, cancellations, and an unraveling of a record-breaking year for Jammu and Kashmir tourism.
Author Rahul Pandita echoed similar sentiments, writing: "There are beautiful places in India. I mean go to Arunachal, for God sake. Kerala is beautiful. The Western Ghats will take your breath away. Don’t go to a place where terrorists can end your life. It’s just not worth it. And if you really ask me — and I am a native — Kashmir is over-rated."
The impact has been especially acute in eastern India. Kolkata-based tour operators say the incident has triggered a wave of cancellations. "This is madness,” said Bilolaksha Das, chairman of the eastern chapter of the Travel Agents Federation of India. "There had been terror attacks in Kashmir before. But never before were tourists identified and killed. The entire tourism industry and all its partners revolving around Kashmir, both in the valley and various parts of India, will go for a toss after this incident."
Das confirmed that tour operators have been flooded with cancellation calls since Tuesday night. “With this incident, we are now looking at a bleak tourist season, which started from February-end and will continue till mid-October, including the Durga Puja vacation,” he said.
The tourism blow comes just as Jammu and Kashmir had begun to see historic growth. The region recorded 2.35 crore tourist visits in 2024, up from 2.11 crore in 2023 and 1.88 crore in 2022, driven by improved infrastructure and successful global promotion—including the hosting of the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar last May.
But the attack may have unraveled those gains. “This will have significant ramifications,” said Anil Punjabi, national committee member of the Travel Agents Federation of India. He noted that over 30% of Kashmir’s tourist inflow comes from eastern India, especially West Bengal. “Most of these bookings are either going to be cancelled or indefinitely postponed. Tour operators are going to incur heavy losses,” he said.
Mrinmoy Chandra, another tour operator based in Kolkata, said cancellations began within hours of the attack. “There were so many new hotels opening in Pahalgam, and even more were being planned,” he said. “Even though foreign tourist traffic is relatively low in summer, this sends out the wrong message.”
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah acknowledged the mass exodus of tourists. “It’s heartbreaking to see the exodus of our guests from the valley after yesterday’s tragic terror attack in Pahalgam, but at the same time, we totally understand why people would want to leave,” he wrote on X.
After the terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, most of them tourists, Snapdeal co-founder Kunal Bahl on Wednesday said he will no longer urge people to visit Kashmir. Bahl said the risk is no longer worth it.
"Beauty of Pahalgam from my last trip. Despite people’s fear of going to Kashmir, I have always been the voice that’s been telling those around me to go experience its beauty, culture. Probably the best tourist destination of India. I will stop doing that now. Not worth the risk,” Bahl posted on X.
The fallout from the massacre at Baisaran meadow — a popular tourist spot near Pahalgam — has been swift and widespread. Among those killed were two foreigners from the UAE and Nepal, as well as three tourists from West Bengal. The attack, which marked a rare instance of tourists being directly targeted, has triggered fear, cancellations, and an unraveling of a record-breaking year for Jammu and Kashmir tourism.
Author Rahul Pandita echoed similar sentiments, writing: "There are beautiful places in India. I mean go to Arunachal, for God sake. Kerala is beautiful. The Western Ghats will take your breath away. Don’t go to a place where terrorists can end your life. It’s just not worth it. And if you really ask me — and I am a native — Kashmir is over-rated."
The impact has been especially acute in eastern India. Kolkata-based tour operators say the incident has triggered a wave of cancellations. "This is madness,” said Bilolaksha Das, chairman of the eastern chapter of the Travel Agents Federation of India. "There had been terror attacks in Kashmir before. But never before were tourists identified and killed. The entire tourism industry and all its partners revolving around Kashmir, both in the valley and various parts of India, will go for a toss after this incident."
Das confirmed that tour operators have been flooded with cancellation calls since Tuesday night. “With this incident, we are now looking at a bleak tourist season, which started from February-end and will continue till mid-October, including the Durga Puja vacation,” he said.
The tourism blow comes just as Jammu and Kashmir had begun to see historic growth. The region recorded 2.35 crore tourist visits in 2024, up from 2.11 crore in 2023 and 1.88 crore in 2022, driven by improved infrastructure and successful global promotion—including the hosting of the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar last May.
But the attack may have unraveled those gains. “This will have significant ramifications,” said Anil Punjabi, national committee member of the Travel Agents Federation of India. He noted that over 30% of Kashmir’s tourist inflow comes from eastern India, especially West Bengal. “Most of these bookings are either going to be cancelled or indefinitely postponed. Tour operators are going to incur heavy losses,” he said.
Mrinmoy Chandra, another tour operator based in Kolkata, said cancellations began within hours of the attack. “There were so many new hotels opening in Pahalgam, and even more were being planned,” he said. “Even though foreign tourist traffic is relatively low in summer, this sends out the wrong message.”
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah acknowledged the mass exodus of tourists. “It’s heartbreaking to see the exodus of our guests from the valley after yesterday’s tragic terror attack in Pahalgam, but at the same time, we totally understand why people would want to leave,” he wrote on X.