Pahalgam terror attack: Lucknow tour operators, tourists rejigging their Kashmir travel plans
The Travel Trade Association of Uttar Pradesh (TTAUP) estimates that around 1,000 bookings have been cancelled following the killing of 26 tourists during the Pahalgam terror attack on Tuesday. Tour operators and tourists are now assessing their losses and revising their vacation plans, which were scheduled to begin in just a few days.
Rajiv Arora, founding member and vice-president at TTAUP, explained the immediate impact on their operations.
'We had booked 10 seats block with an airline per day from May 12 to June 20 from Lucknow-Delhi-Srinagar to-and-from for the upcoming season, and this happened. Tourists waited for a day, but from Wednesday, cancellations started pouring in. Now, we are negotiating with airlines to give us some relief in terms of adjustment, if not refunds, which is being worked upon,' he says.
Rajiv highlighted Kashmir's popularity as a summer destination with a high rate of repeat customers. He emphasised the need for swift action to restore confidence. 'I think we need to work on what next and how soon we can bring confidence back with more safety, tourism police in place, and better tour facilities involving local operators to gain the confidence of tourists,' he added.
Similarly, Arvind Saxena, president of the folk and culture group JPS Star 11, saw their scheduled performances in Anantnag, Katra, and nearby areas in the last week of May get cancelled due to security concerns.
'For now, yes, we have cancelled all the events for which we have been preparing for over three months. We pray for peace and normalcy,' Saxena expressed.
Architect S Fatima, who returned from from Jammu and Kashmir trip just a day before the terror attack with her 11-member group, says, 'I have not been able to sleep since I got to know about the deadly attack,' she says.
The uncertainty extends beyond leisure travel. Hindi-Bhojpuri filmmaker Vijay Singh Bhadauria had planned to shoot an untitled Hindi film in Kashmir in the first week of June with a unit of 35 people. He described the situation as 'unfortunate,' stating, 'Sara kaam ruk gya hai. I have no idea how to proceed. For now, I have decided to shoot in Himachal Pradesh, though I had designed a special sequence with Dal Lake in focus.'
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