Pahalgam terrorist attack claimed that the lives of 26 people have triggered widespread panic in the tourism industry in eastern India, with travel agencies reporting extensive cancellations of booked trips in Jamu and Kashmir. Industry leaders in Kolkata are the main hubs for Jamu and Kashmir, claiming that the incident could remove the long-term recovery and growth of the valley armed forces.
The attack marks the first time in recent memory that tourists have been targeted specifically, which increases travelers’ safety concerns. “It’s crazy,” said Biloraksha Das, president of the East Section of the Federation of India Travel Agency. “There have been terrorist attacks in Kashmir before. But tourists have never been identified and killed before. The entire tourism industry and all its partners are spinning around Kashmir and various regions across India in Kashmir, which is the toss after the incident.”
DAS told PTI that travel agencies have been receiving calls from panic customers who want to cancel or postpone their plans. “Several bookings have been cancelled since Tuesday night,” he said. “With this incident, we are now looking at a desolate tourist season that starts in late February and will last until mid-October, including a Durga Puja holiday.”
He noted that Kashmir was the best destination for most domestic travelers in the past few years during the summer vacation, with seven of the 10 bookings being offered for the valley. The terrible incident “could have an impact” on the tourism industry, said Shamim Shah, president of the Chamu and Kashmir branch of the Indian Travel Agency Federation.
“Yes, it’s obvious that tourists may put their travel plans aside. But it’s too early to comment on the extent of cancellation.” Indeed, such incidents instill fear in tourists, but we shouldn’t allow the perpetrators of this horrible behavior to succeed. At present, we are not calculating our financial losses, but want to comfort tourists and stand on those who have lost their loved ones. ” he told PTI.
The attack on Baisaran Meadow near Pahalgam in the Anantnag area of southern Kashmir has caused shock waves throughout the travel community. In addition to the three tourists from West Bengal, two of the dead were from the UAE and Nepal. Some others were injured.
Official figures show that Jamu and Kashmir have a long history of 235 million tourists in 2024, both from 211 million in 2023 and 188 crore in 2022.
Various economic surveys praised this continued growth in tourism, a key sign of a “normal” return to Jamu and Kashmir. The industry benefits from better infrastructure, improved connectivity and strong government-led promotion efforts.
But the Pahargam attack may have endangered all of this. “This will have a significant impact,” said Anil Punjabi, a member of the National Committee of the Federation of Travel Agency National Committee of India. “30% of the tourism inflows in Kashmir come from eastern India, especially West Bengal.”
Punjabi say that West Bengal alone has about 300 people booking during the summer vacation every day. “You can calculate the loss. Most of these bookings will be cancelled or postponed indefinitely. Travel agencies will cause huge losses.”
The attack caused widespread panic in tourism and tourism in eastern India, especially in cities such as Kolkata and Siliguri, which account for a large proportion of tourists encountered in Kashmir. Agents in the cities said customers not only canceled their trip to Kashmir, but also reconsidered bookings for the next season due to fear and uncertainty.
Mrinmoy Chandra, a Kolkata-based travel agency, said he received three groups of cancellation requests within hours of the news. “Last year, April to July was a peak season. These hotels were fixed. There are many new hotels in Pahargam and more were planned,” he said.
Chandra also warned that the attack would affect the prospects for foreign tourism in Kashmir. “Even if foreign tourism traffic is relatively low in summer, this conveys a false message,” he said. It successfully held the third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar in May 2023, attended by more than 60 international representatives.
But travel agencies say all progress can be reversed. Another tour operator and hotelier said: “There is fear again. Tourism is the greatest hope for an economic recovery. This attack has not been built for years of confidence.” The valley’s tourism ecosystem – involving hotel operators, boathouse owners, pony Valaches, drivers, guides and artisans – is now preparing for a lean season and the financial impact is expected to be serious.
“Tourism is not just a business there…it’s a lifeline. Security agencies strengthen their presence in major tourism hubs. But travel agencies believe that it may have caused the losses in the 2025 season.
