'Terror will never defeat India's spirit': Tourists defy fear, return to Pahalgam

India Today

29-04-2025

Kashmir, which fell silent a week ago after the deadly Pahalgam terror attacks, is seeing fleeting signs of life again. Tourists are trickling back to the "Paradise on Earth" as Bollywood stars and ministers lead the appeal to urge citizens not to abandon Kashmir and refuse to let terror dictate their decisions.The Pahalgam carnage, which left 25 tourists and a Kashmiri dead, wasn't just an attack on civilians but a strike at an industry that is the lifeline of Kashmir. Tourism accounts for nearly 7-8 per cent of Jammu and Kashmir's GDP. It is even more for the Valley. advertisementThus, visuals of tourists leaving Pahalgam in droves after the attack raised fears of people shunning Kashmir altogether. In fact, the Kashmir Hotel Association said 80% of the bookings were cancelled immediately.
However, a week on, the beginning of the return to normalcy in Kashmir seems to be well on track.'NORMALCY ROARS BACK'Union Minister Jitendra Singh led the campaign to instil confidence among tourists, posting a video from Kashmir showing people enjoying the scenic beauty of the valley and visiting tourist spots."Terror will never defeat the spirit of India. After the cowardly terror attack, hundreds of fearless tourists thronged Guldanada and Chattergalla, embracing the beauty of our land. Bhadarwah-Pathankot highway reopens after 4 days - normalcy roars back," Singh tweeted.Terror will never defeat the spirit of IndiaAfter the cowardly #PahalgamTerrorAttack, hundreds of fearless tourists thronged Guldanada and Chattergalla, embracing the beauty of our land.#Bhadarwah-Pathankot highway reopens after 4 days — normalcy roars back. pic.twitter.com/937QTPO5zy— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) April 29, 2025advertisementEven Pahalgam saw a handful of visitors and foreigners at the weekend as shops opened shutters. However, security personnel and police were seen in every nook and corner of the picturesque town. Tourists, however, mostly wandered in groups."We have been here for 3–4 days and we feel very safe. Kashmir is beautiful and safe... People are very kind. We are a group of 13 people... We heard about the incident one day before we arrived in Kashmir. We came here anyway," said a tourist from Croatia.BOLLYWOOD URGES PEOPLE TO VISIT PARADISE ON EARTHAmong those encouraging tourists to come to Pahalgam and Kashmir was popular Bollywood actor Atul Kulkarni. Kulkarni, who visited Pahalgam days after the attack, said one should respond to the terrorists by coming to Kashmir in even larger numbers.In a series of posts on Instagram, Kulkarni is seen enjoying a shikara ride in Dal Lake, having local delicacies at a shop and visiting a Kashmiri bat factory. The message was clear: Kashmir is ours. Courage is heavier than fear.Actor Sunil Shetty also exhorted people not to cancel their trips to Kashmir. He even said his next holiday will be to Kashmir."All should plan their holidays to Kashmir. We have to visit Kashmir as it was, is and will remain a part of our country. We will not be frightened. We have to be fearless and convey a message to terrorists," Shetty said.advertisementBringing tourism back on track has been the Centre's priority after the abrogation of Article 270 in 2019. It has coincided with a rise in footfall year-on-year.According to data, the tourist footfall in 2024 was 2.95 million, a rise from 2.71 million visitors in 2023 and 2.67 million in 2022.