'There is fear again': After Pahalgam attack, mass cancellation of Kashmir bookings in Kolkata, Siliguri
The attack in Baisaran meadows — near Pahalgam in Anantnag district — killed three tourists from West Bengal, in addition to two foreign nationals from the UAE and Nepal.
- Apr 23, 2025,
- Updated Apr 23, 2025 5:37 PM IST
Tour operators across eastern India are reporting a wave of cancellations following the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 people dead, many of them tourists. With Kashmir's summer tourism season just underway, industry leaders in Kolkata and Siliguri fear the violence could undo years of recovery and growth, news agency PTI reported on Wednesday.
“This is madness,” Bilolaksha Das, chairman of the eastern chapter of the Travel Agents Federation of India told PTI. “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 said calls from panicked clients have flooded travel agencies since Tuesday night. “Already several bookings have been cancelled. 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. Kashmir, he noted, had become the most sought-after summer destination for domestic travellers, with seven out of every ten bookings aimed at the valley.
The attack in Baisaran meadows — near Pahalgam in Anantnag district — killed three tourists from West Bengal, in addition to two foreign nationals from the UAE and Nepal.
"This will have significant ramifications,” said Anil Punjabi, national committee member of the Travel Agents Federation of India. “More than 30 per cent of Kashmir’s tourist inflow is from eastern India, especially West Bengal.” He estimated that bookings of around 300 people per day from West Bengal alone were in place for the summer vacation period. “You can calculate the losses. 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, a tour operator in Kolkata, confirmed multiple cancellations within hours of the news breaking. “Last year, April to July was a peak season. The hotels were booked solid. There were so many new hotels opening in Pahalgam, and even more were being planned,” he said. Chandra also warned of a chilling effect on foreign tourism: “Even though foreign tourist traffic is relatively low in summer, this sends out the wrong message.”
The impact has rippled across the valley’s tightly knit tourism ecosystem—hoteliers, houseboat owners, drivers, guides, pony operators, and artisans—many of whom rely on the peak season for most of their annual earnings. “Tourism is not just a business there… it’s a lifeline. And today, that lifeline is hanging by a thread,” Punjabi said.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah acknowledged the crisis, saying on X: “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.” The administration has since opened up road traffic between Srinagar and Jammu and coordinated with aviation authorities to arrange extra flights for outbound tourists.
The broader sentiment was captured in a social media post that read: “Tourist vehicles from every corner of Kashmir are leaving. Being tourism-dependent economy, and knowing 100’s of people who took loans either for renovation of hotels or tourist vehicles are left jeopardised… It was not only attack on innocent civilians but on bread and butter of our brethren, our economy, our livelihood as well.”
Official figures show that Jammu and Kashmir recorded 2.35 crore tourist arrivals in 2024 — up from 2.11 crore the previous year. The numbers had been seen as a sign of growing confidence and stability in the region. The government had aggressively promoted the area as a safe and attractive destination, even hosting the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar in May 2023.
But Tuesday's attack, and the exodus that followed, threaten to undo that progress. As security forces tighten presence across the valley, tour operators believe the damage for 2025 may already be irreversible.
(With inputs from PTI)
Tour operators across eastern India are reporting a wave of cancellations following the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 people dead, many of them tourists. With Kashmir's summer tourism season just underway, industry leaders in Kolkata and Siliguri fear the violence could undo years of recovery and growth, news agency PTI reported on Wednesday.
“This is madness,” Bilolaksha Das, chairman of the eastern chapter of the Travel Agents Federation of India told PTI. “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 said calls from panicked clients have flooded travel agencies since Tuesday night. “Already several bookings have been cancelled. 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. Kashmir, he noted, had become the most sought-after summer destination for domestic travellers, with seven out of every ten bookings aimed at the valley.
The attack in Baisaran meadows — near Pahalgam in Anantnag district — killed three tourists from West Bengal, in addition to two foreign nationals from the UAE and Nepal.
"This will have significant ramifications,” said Anil Punjabi, national committee member of the Travel Agents Federation of India. “More than 30 per cent of Kashmir’s tourist inflow is from eastern India, especially West Bengal.” He estimated that bookings of around 300 people per day from West Bengal alone were in place for the summer vacation period. “You can calculate the losses. 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, a tour operator in Kolkata, confirmed multiple cancellations within hours of the news breaking. “Last year, April to July was a peak season. The hotels were booked solid. There were so many new hotels opening in Pahalgam, and even more were being planned,” he said. Chandra also warned of a chilling effect on foreign tourism: “Even though foreign tourist traffic is relatively low in summer, this sends out the wrong message.”
The impact has rippled across the valley’s tightly knit tourism ecosystem—hoteliers, houseboat owners, drivers, guides, pony operators, and artisans—many of whom rely on the peak season for most of their annual earnings. “Tourism is not just a business there… it’s a lifeline. And today, that lifeline is hanging by a thread,” Punjabi said.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah acknowledged the crisis, saying on X: “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.” The administration has since opened up road traffic between Srinagar and Jammu and coordinated with aviation authorities to arrange extra flights for outbound tourists.
The broader sentiment was captured in a social media post that read: “Tourist vehicles from every corner of Kashmir are leaving. Being tourism-dependent economy, and knowing 100’s of people who took loans either for renovation of hotels or tourist vehicles are left jeopardised… It was not only attack on innocent civilians but on bread and butter of our brethren, our economy, our livelihood as well.”
Official figures show that Jammu and Kashmir recorded 2.35 crore tourist arrivals in 2024 — up from 2.11 crore the previous year. The numbers had been seen as a sign of growing confidence and stability in the region. The government had aggressively promoted the area as a safe and attractive destination, even hosting the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar in May 2023.
But Tuesday's attack, and the exodus that followed, threaten to undo that progress. As security forces tighten presence across the valley, tour operators believe the damage for 2025 may already be irreversible.
(With inputs from PTI)