Defying fear, tourists return to Pahalgam days after deadly terror attack

Five days after the deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, tourists started flocking this scenic town again, defying fear and security threats.

 

A sense of normalcy was palpable in the region as hundreds of foreign and domestic tourists visited the town on Sunday, the first holiday since the deadly attack on April 22.

 

The town, which witnessed 5,000 to 7,000 tourists on a normal day, had seen a dramatic dip in the number of visitors since the attack.

 

News agency ANI talked to a few Serbian and Criatian tourists who expressed their admiration for Kashmir’s unmatched beauty.

 

“We are feeling very safe, and your country is very beautiful. We don't have any problem staying here. Kashmir is beautiful, very beautiful. It's very nice, your country is different,” Ljiljana, a tourist from Croatia, told the news agency.

 

She was part of a 12-member group visiting the valley.

 

The ghastly terror attack, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, lost their lives, sent shock wave across the country, leading to a massive dip in the tourist flow to Jammu and Kashmir.

 

On Saturday, the Kashmir Hotel Association (KHA) said 80 per cent of tourist bookings to Kashmir had been cancelled after the terror attack.

 

Vlatko, a tourist from Croatia, told ANI that he felt totally safe in Pahalgam. “"I feel totally safe, no problem here. Everywhere, people say hello - zero, zero scared,” she said.

 

Tourism in Kashmir had revived after the Covid-19 lockdowns were lifted. The Narendra Modi government was also going on an aggressive push to promote tourism in the valley in an attempt to legitimise the revoking of Article 370. 

 

Domestic tourists increased from 26 lakh in 2022 to nearly 30 lakh last year, while even foreign tourist numbers reached 66,000.

India