Tourists flee Kashmir after Pahalgam attack, Omar says heartbreaking to see exodus

Thousands of tourists are leaving Kashmir after the gruesome terror attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday, with the authorities making all efforts for the safe return of the visitors to their respective home states.

Chief minister Omar Abdullah said it was heartbreaking to see the exodus of tourists. “It’s heartbreaking to see the exodus of our guests from the Valley after yesterday’s tragic terror attack in Pahalgam but at the same time we totally understand why people would want to leave. While DGCA & the Ministry of Civil Aviation are working to organise extra flights, NH-44 between Srinagar & Jammu has been reconnected for traffic in a single direction,” Abdullah posted on X.

“I’ve directed the administration to facilitate traffic between Srinagar and Jammu allowing tourist vehicles to leave. This will have to be done in a controlled and organised way because the road is still unstable in places and we are also working hard to clear all the stranded vehicles. We will not be able to permit completely free movement of vehicles at the moment and we hope that everyone will cooperate with us,” he added.

People associated with tourist trade said most of the tourists were leaving the Valley due to fear, a day after 26 tourists were killed by terrorists at Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam resort in Anantnag district.

“We know tourists have by and large been safe in Kashmir but with such an incident happening here, one cannot expect them to stay back. The cancellations are massive, close to 80%,” Aijaz Ali, a travel operator from Srinagar, said.

He said there were cancellations of packages even for next one month. “All the good work over the past several years has gone down the drain. It will take a lot of convincing to bring tourists again to Kashmir,” Ali added.

Visit Jammu region instead: Operators

At the Jammu railway station, Shubham Ravindra Wadtkar, 29, a tour manager with an Amravati-based agency, was trying to convince his clients to stay on in J&K and visit the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and tourist destinations of Patnitop and Bhaderwah in Jammu region instead.

“In the blink of an eye, the Pahalgam terror attack has ruined the entire tourist season in Kashmir. We used to bring tourists from Maharashtra to Kashmir and felt secure following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. However, Tuesday’s attack came as a shocker. We had brought a group of 40 tourists from Amravati. Following the attack, I somehow managed to bring them back to Jammu via Mughal Road,” he said.

The tour manager was to take three more groups of 40 tourists each to Kashmir on April 25 and 30. “They have now cancelled their bookings and we are faced with a loss of ₹38 lakh,” he said.

Amnish Sharma, 50, another Jammu-based tour operator said bookings are down by 70%. “Business had just started picking up and now everything has been cancelled,” he said.

Suresh Kumar, 46, a tourist from Patna, who has come with 10 members of his family, said they had visited the Vaishno Devi shrine and were planning to go to Pahalgam. “We were about to book hotels in Pahalgam on Tuesday but have decided to return home,” he said.

The All Jammu Hotels and Lodges Association president Inderjit Khajuria said the Pahalgam terror attack would have an adverse impact on the ensuing Amarnath Yatra. “I strongly appeal to the Centre that the pilgrimage be handed over to the army so that there’s no fear among the pilgrims,” he said.

Some tourists choose to stay back

While most tourists are scared, some are staying back. “We have come out (of hotel rooms) and we do not feel any fear. There is security everywhere. We have plans to visit Pahalgam and if the situation remains good, then we may go there on Thursday,” a woman tourist from Maharashtra said.

She said there was fear when she heard about the attack. “We have come from Mumbai, we thought now we have to return, but the hotel staff made us feel safe and comfortable. They told us we can move around. We came out and saw that here is police and army everywhere and tourists are feeling secure. We can safely move around and the fear is decreasing now,” she added.

Airlines waive cancellation charges

The civil aviation ministry has asked airlines to ensure there is no surge in airfares on the Srinagar route. Air India and IndiGo are operating a total of four additional flights from Srinagar to the national capital and Mumbai on Wednesday. The airlines have waived ticket rescheduling and cancellation charges.

Civil aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu held an urgent meeting with all airline operators and issued a strong advisory against surge pricing on the Srinagar route. “Airlines have been directed to maintain regular fare levels, ensuring that no passenger is burdened during this sensitive time,” an official release said on Wednesday.

Air India operated a flight from Srinagar to Delhi at 11.30am and from Srinagar to Mumbai at 12 noon. “All our other flights to and from Srinagar will continue to operate as per schedule,” it posted on X.

Air India operates five flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Srinagar daily. The airline is also offering complimentary rescheduling and full refunds on cancellations to passengers with confirmed bookings till April 30 on these sectors.

IndiGo said that in view of the situation in Srinagar, it has extended waivers for rescheduling or cancellations for travel until April 30, applicable to bookings made on or before April 22.

“Additionally, we are operating two flights today, April 23, to and from Srinagar, one each from Delhi and Mumbai,” the airline posted on X.

IndiGo operates 20 flights daily connecting Srinagar.