23-04-2025
Pahalgam terror attack: Many tourists still stranded, ‘overbooked' J&K empties out
Pahalgam terror attack in J&K
SRINAGAR: After exulting over an overbooked summer, travel operators are gearing up for a wave of cancellations following the attack in Pahalgam, expected to hit one of biggest economic lifelines of the region.
Multiple industry insiders said they could not recall a major terrorist strike so openly targeting tourists from a specific community. "We are getting a lot of calls for cancellation," said Nasir Shah of Indian Association of Tour Operators.
Tourists from Maharashtra and Rajasthan, stranded after the attack, were keen to leave the UT soon. "The roads are deserted, and the Army is everywhere. We're safe, but others don't want to stay another day. I'm not sure how everyone will manage return flights," said Pune-based lawyer Vijaysinh Thombare, currently in Srinagar with his wife NCP functioanry Rupali Patil-Thombare.
A local hotelier, whose hotel was fully booked, said: "They panicked and didn't want to stay." However, they couldn't proceed to Jammu due to the Srinagar-Jammu highway being closed because of landslides.
