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Business Standard
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Travel bodies join hands to revive Kashmir tourism post-terror attack
Tourism associations express solidarity with Jammu and Kashmir after Pahalgam terror attack; hoteliers offer discounts as confidence-building begins Mumbai Listen to This Article Major associations in the travel and hospitality sector have joined hands in an effort to revive the tourism industry in Jammu and Kashmir after the Pahalgam terror attack in April. This comes after the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) recently launched a 'Chalo Kashmir' campaign to encourage travel to the region. 'All the major associations have expressed solidarity with Kashmir and the entire tourism industry of the state, and the effect of this (the terror attack) will take some time to wear off,' Ajay Prakash, vice-chairman, Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH), told Business Standard.
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
‘Chalo Kashmir' campaign a glimmer of hope for Valley tourism
With tourism industry in a state of crisis in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, and the Jammu and Kashmir government adopting a 'wait and watch policy', the 'Chalo Kashmir' campaign launched by travel agencies in Kolkata and some Himalayan region is a glimmer of hope for the sector. Tourism stakeholders, albeit agreeing that revival of the sector will take some time, say that this will have a positive impact on tourist arrivals across the Valley. They say tourist arrivals dried up after the April 22 terror attack at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, 25 tourists and a local. J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah said they will wait for the situation to improve for the revival of tourism. 'Tourism has been hit but for now, we are not doing anything regarding its revival. Let the situation first improve and after that, we will sit with the stakeholders and chalk out a plan for the revival of tourism,' Omar told reporters in Ganderbal. There has been a positive response from some travel agencies, particularly in West Bengal. According to reports, nearly 100 travel agencies and affiliated partners in Kolkata have united under the 'Chalo Kashmir' campaign, to show support for tourism revival. Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK) expressed gratitude for the campaign. 'Not only Kolkata travel agencies, the support has come from Maharashtra and Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI). They held meetings and pledged support to Kashmir to promote it as a tourist destination. They also want to hold its annual/biannual meetings here, giving message that they are with Kashmir tourism,' said TAAK secretary general Sajad Ahmad Kralyari. He said such initiatives will help the revival of the sector. 'Gestures like these will obviously help. But the revival will be 20-30%, which otherwise would have been 100% till September,' he said. The Valley saw an exodus of tourists after the Pahalgam attack. 'After the attack, there was an instant cancellation of 80% of the bookings. After the war-like situation, the cancellations reached 95%. There was some inflow of tourists for the past few days after airfares and hotel tariffs went down. The hoteliers here have cut rates by almost 30%,' said Sameer Ahmad, a travel agent in Srinagar. Kashmir has witnessed record tourist arrivals for the past three years. According to J&K tourism department, nearly 35 lakh tourists visited the Himalayan valley last year, up from 31.55 lakh in 2023 and 26.73 lakh in 2022. This year, the number had crossed 6 lakh before the Pahalgam attack.
NDTV
20-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
"Chalo Kashmir": Travel Association's New Campaign Aims To Restore Tourism In J&K
Jammu and Kashmir remains one of the most iconic, scenic and culturally significant destinations in India and globally. In response to concerns over tourism following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) has launched the "Let's Visit J&K" or "Chalo Kashmir" campaign. TAAI, the oldest and largest association representing the travel, tourism and hospitality industry in India, said the campaign aims to restore the region's vibrancy and support tourism revival. According to official data, tourism in Kashmir saw record numbers in 2024. Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a historic footfall of 2.35 crore tourists during the year, PTI reported. This included domestic travellers, pilgrims visiting Amarnath and Vaishno Devi, and around 65,000 foreign tourists. "While recent disturbances have raised concerns, they cannot diminish the timeless appeal of the region. An incident meant to cause disruption cannot take away the legacy of Jammu and Kashmir," TAAI said in a press statement. "By encouraging travel to Jammu and Kashmir, we support local livelihoods and send a message of resilience, unity and hope," the association added. At a meeting held on May 16, 2025, the Managing Committee and Chapter Chairpersons of TAAI passed a unanimous resolution to promote travel to Jammu and Kashmir in an active and sustained manner. The association aims to reach more than one million travellers - including families, groups and individuals - through the direct customer base of its 2,400+ member companies across India. Key Initiatives Under "Let's Visit J&K" Campaign: Coordination with J&K Government: TAAI has requested the Hon'ble Chief Minister and concerned authorities to implement strong safety measures for all visitors to the Union Territory. Support From The Hospitality Sector: The campaign plans to coordinate with hotels and local tourism operators to offer special promotional packages and personalised services to tourists. Engagement With Airlines: Airlines are being invited to offer promotional fares to make travel to Jammu and Kashmir more affordable and appealing. Mobilising Local Network: The TAAI J&K Chapter, which includes over 100 member companies from the travel and tourism sector, is actively participating in the campaign. The Campaign's Message To Travellers Across India:
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Kashmir wants normalcy & its tourists back
Almost a month after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that escalated tensions between India and Pakistan and led to Operation Sindoor, the travel industry is planning special packages through tie-ups with airlines, hotels and campaigns to gradually revive tourism in Jammu and Kashmir. Industry bodies such as Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) and Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) said they would appeal to the government and relevant authorities to ensure safety and security of tourists and restore traveller trust. TAAI said besides requesting Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah and relevant authorities to ensure strong security measures, it plans to work with hotels, and local tourism operators to offer special promotional packages and "personalised care" as part of a 'Let's visit J&K' campaign. The industry body said it is inviting airline partners to provide promotional airfares. "We are planning to encourage people to travel from June onwards if the ceasefire continues and things go well," said Sunil Kumar, president of TAAI. IATO president Ravi Gosain said the attack on tourists was specifically to derail tourism. "Moving forward, we need to see that these perpetrators do not succeed," he said. The association plans to send out agents first to assess and evaluate the situation on the ground, he added. Habibullah Pandow, MD of Kamran Tours and Travels, and the vice president of Travel Agents Association of Kashmir, said the number of tourists in Kashmir have trickled down to hundreds since the attack. He said the central and state governments need to play a pivotal role in restoring tourists' trust. "Within the country, our domestic flow is enough for Kashmir, and we will think of roadshows," Pandow said. "Overtime, Kashmir has also become an expensive domestic package and we will have to look at discounted and reasonably priced packages on a demand and supply basis," he added. The J&K hotel occupancy has ranged between 50% and 60% and it was one of the earlier markets to recover after the Covid-19 pandemic, with occupancy crossing 50% as early as in the first quarter of 2021, said Karan Mahesh, senior sales, South and Southeast Asia, at STR, a CoStar Group firm.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Russia, Germany, S'pore replace Turkiye, Azerbaijan in int'l itinerary
Kolkata: Hostilities between India and Pakistan may have subsided, but outrage over support from Turkiye and Azerbaijan for the 'enemy' has led to the cancellation of bookings to these countries from Kolkata. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Travel agents and tour operators who have decided not to promote these two countries are instead offering alternative destinations at the same price during the Durga Puja holidays in Sept-Oct."Around 2,000 people used to travel to Turkiye from India daily, of which around 10% or around 200 were from Kolkata. That figure has dropped to 40-50 following the India-Pakistan conflict. In case of Azerbaijan, around 450 people used to travel to the country from India daily. Of this, around 45-50 would be from Kolkata. That figure has slumped to five-six," said Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) chairman (East) Anjani May 9, members of TAAI, as well as agents belonging to the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), decided to boycott Turkiye and Azerbaijan. Since then, travel agents said they have hardly any clients wanting to travel to the two to Ease My Trip, there have been 22% cancellations to Turkey and more than 30% cancellations in Azerbaijan over the last six days. A Make My Trip spokesperson said over the past week, bookings for Azerbaijan and Turkey decreased by 60%, while cancellations surged by 250% during the same those who were considering either of the two countries, travel agents are suggesting other holiday destinations within the same budget. Instead of Turkiye, where a 6-7-day holiday would have cost Rs 3-4 lakh for a couple, travel agents are promoting Russia, Czech Republic, Hungary, or Germany. And instead of Azerbaijan, where a 4-day holiday for a couple costs Rs 2 lakh, travel agents are offering Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Bali, or Dubai."Like domestic bookings that have taken a hit following the war, even international bookings have been impacted. Against last year, bookings for the Durga Puja season are down by half. But we are confident that as sentiment improves, bookings will pick up," said TAFI national committee member Anil & Kings director Karan Agarwal said most travellers were willing to pivot rather than pause, choosing alternate destinations over giving up on travel altogether. "While exercising caution, they remain enthusiastic about exploring new places, as long as they feel confident and supported throughout their journey," he said. Aroon Sahani from Tangra has changed his travel plan from Kashmir to Bali and is still sticking to the changed itinerary. He will be leaving the city with a group of 15 this Hostilities between India and Pakistan may have subsided, but outrage over support from Turkiye and Azerbaijan for the 'enemy' has led to the cancellation of bookings to these countries from Kolkata. Travel agents and tour operators who have decided not to promote these two countries are instead offering alternative destinations at the same price during the Durga Puja holidays in Sept-Oct."Around 2,000 people used to travel to Turkiye from India daily, of which around 10% or around 200 were from Kolkata. That figure has dropped to 40-50 following the India-Pakistan conflict. In case of Azerbaijan, around 450 people used to travel to the country from India daily. Of this, around 45-50 would be from Kolkata. That figure has slumped to five-six," said Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) chairman (East) Anjani May 9, members of TAAI, as well as agents belonging to the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), decided to boycott Turkiye and Azerbaijan. Since then, travel agents said they have hardly any clients wanting to travel to the two to Ease My Trip, there have been 22% cancellations to Turkey and more than 30% cancellations in Azerbaijan over the last six days. A Make My Trip spokesperson said over the past week, bookings for Azerbaijan and Turkey decreased by 60%, while cancellations surged by 250% during the same those who were considering either of the two countries, travel agents are suggesting other holiday destinations within the same budget. Instead of Turkiye, where a 6-7-day holiday would have cost Rs 3-4 lakh for a couple, travel agents are promoting Russia, Czech Republic, Hungary, or Germany. And instead of Azerbaijan, where a 4-day holiday for a couple costs Rs 2 lakh, travel agents are offering Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Bali, or Dubai."Like domestic bookings that have taken a hit following the war, even international bookings have been impacted. Against last year, bookings for the Durga Puja season are down by half. But we are confident that as sentiment improves, bookings will pick up," said TAFI national committee member Anil & Kings director Karan Agarwal said most travellers were willing to pivot rather than pause, choosing alternate destinations over giving up on travel altogether. "While exercising caution, they remain enthusiastic about exploring new places, as long as they feel confident and supported throughout their journey," he said. Aroon Sahani from Tangra has changed his travel plan from Kashmir to Bali and is still sticking to the changed itinerary. He will be leaving the city with a group of 15 this Saturday.
