How Kashmir is putting Pahalgam attack behind, bringing tourists back
The central government is also lending a major stimulus. Three Union ministers have visited Kashmir since June after Abdullah pitched for a central delegation visit to instill confidence among visitors. Union minister of tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat's visit to J&K on June 18-19, during which he visited Pahalgam and was hosted by Abdullah, set the stage for the July 7-8 pan-India tourism secretaries' meeting in Kashmir—a first of its kind for the region.'Tourism came to a standstill but it looks like life has emerged back. The efforts of the J&K government and central government initiatives, such as sending delegations and ministers and organising conferences by different ministries as part of the confidence-building exercise, will fructify in the coming days. Kashmir's tourism will be back in full swing,' Shekhawat said on the sidelines of the high-level meeting in Srinagar on July 7.The meeting, which drew together tourism secretaries from the states and Union territories along with secretaries in the Union ministry, delved on the key national policies and ideas for destination development and infrastructure initiatives alongside the tourism-related budget announcements for 2025-26 and a framework for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of developing 50-iconic global standard destinations across India, including J&K.Earlier, during his two-day visit to Kashmir on July 3-4, Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan went shopping for Kashmiri shawls at Lal Chowk in Srinagar along with his wife, sipping tea under the iconic Clock Tower alongside parliamentary committee members. A day before, Union minister of panchayati raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh visited Kashmir. On July 6, Tarun Kapoor, advisor in the Prime Minister's Office, came to Srinagar and met traders and locals at Lal Chowk to seek views on the region's economy.advertisementThe major outreach from the Union government has coincided with the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, which has so far seen over 200,000 pilgrims visit the holy cave in Kashmir. The region's tourism is hinged on its success. With over 400,000 registrations, the pilgrimage has left enough greenshoots for tourism. Major security arrangements, including the highest-ever troop deployment with 600 additional companies of Central Armed Police Force, have insulated the yatra against terror threats and attracted pilgrims back. In 2024, an all-time high of 512,000 pilgrims had done the yatra.Tourism contributes about 7 per cent to J&K's GDP and serves as a key economic driver, employing over two million people. Visitor arrivals have been soaring in recent years, with a record 3.5 million tourists coming over in 2024. For J&K's economy, otherwise driven by agriculture and horticulture, tourism is emerging as a vital livelihood and employment generation option.The region is struggling with high unemployment. Abdullah has vowed to make tourism a 'conflict neutral' activity and, despite all the odds, is diverting a significant amount of energy and time to get it back on track. Starting from his cabinet meeting in Pahalgam, followed by the one of secretaries in Gulmarg on May 27-28, he has turned tourism ambassador.advertisementAbdullah has met over 200 tourism stakeholders and travel agents across India and pitched for a nationwide 'Chalo Kashmir' campaign. The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation, which houses a majority of government's tourism infrastructure, has been tipped to revamp its infrastructure inventory to high standards and availability to online travel aggregators for ease of bookings.Abdullah also reached out to West Bengal and addressed a Tourism and Trade Fair (TTF) session in Kolkata on July 10. Attended by 175 travel agents of the eastern state. 'We are here with a story of optimism, with a message of hope and revival. We are here with an invitation to ask you to not just believe in J&K but come and see the post-Pahalgam scenario. Tourism has begun to flow back both to Jammu as well as Kashmir,'' Abdullah said in his address.The idea behind this Bengal outreach was to tap visitors ahead of the Durga Puja holidays. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee urged her state's people to visit J&K and also accepted Abdullah's invitation to pay a long-pending visit.'Only a head of the family can get his house together and address all its problems. That is what CM Omar Abdullah has done and continues to do. We are thankful for the hospitality and reception extended by J&K. It is time is to forget the past and move on,' Anjani Kumar Dhanuka, chairman of TAAI for the eastern region, told INDIA TODAY.advertisementGoing forward, TASK president Siah said the upcoming travel and trade fair in Ahmedabad will be fruitful in wooing Gujarati travellers, who have kept a constant tryst with the Valley over the years. 'Like in Kolkata, we'll request Omar Abdullah to grace the show there as well,' he added.Subscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch
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