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States » EastPosted at: Apr 24 2025 1:15PM


Bengal tourist outgo to Kashmir may suffer post Pahalgam

Kolkata, Apr 24 (UNI) West Bengal, which contributes nearly 30 per cent of all tourists to Kashmir, is expected to suffer a significant setback following the recent deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 27 lives, including three from the state.
According to estimates from the Jammu & Kashmir government, tourism witnessed a sharp rise following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. In 2018, the region saw 1.6 crore tourist arrivals. Although the industry faced a downturn during the COVID-19 period, it rebounded, attracting 1.8 crore tourists in 2022, 2.11 crore in 2023, and reaching a record-breaking 2.35 crore visitors in 2024 including 65,000 foreign tourists.
Government data shows 8.14 lakh people had visited Srinagar’s Tulip Garden in the 26 days after it opened on March 26.
This surge in the growth was largely driven by a period of relative stability. Terror-related incidents dropped significantly — from 228 in 2018 to only 46 in 2023 — marking a dramatic decline of nearly 99%. It was this atmosphere of peace that encouraged investment, boosted tourism, and helped reshape the region's economic narrative.
But in one of the deadliest civilian attacks in recent years, gunmen opened fire on Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district, killing at least 26 people and injuring several others. The rare and brutal assault, which unfolded in Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination in the region—has cast a shadow over the entire tourism industry in Jammu and Kashmir, raising serious concerns about safety and stability.
“In the last three years a huge number of tourists from the state went to Kashmir but after the attack it has become doubtful whether people will be interested in spending their vacation in the valley,” a senior officer of the state tourism department said.
According to the statistics available with the Bengal government, nearly 9 lakh people from the state visited Kashmir between April to October – the main tourist season in 2022 and it was steadily increasing.
“There are bookings of nearly 300 tourists per day in May this year but after the attack, people have started taking information about Himachal Pradesh and bookings are being steadily cancelled,” a senior manager of the well-known tourist company operating in Kolkata said.
“There are many bookings for Kashmir in May. Airlines have already announced that cancellations until April 30 won’t incur any extra charges. As a result, many people will likely try to avoid going to Kashmir. We expect cancellation calls to start coming in within a few days. It’s almost certain that many will now cancel their Kashmir trips. Some are even considering going to Shimla or Kullu-Manali instead. Those who were planning to travel alone are now feeling hesitant,” another travel agent said.
However, travel agents believe that Bengali tourists typically do not visit Pahalgam, which is why the number of casualties from West Bengal remains relatively low compared to the overall tourist count from the state. Nevertheless, they acknowledge that the current situation in Kashmir is not conducive to tourism, and it is natural for people to feel alarmed.
UNI SG PRS
Tags: #Bengal tourist outgo to Kashmir may suffer post Pahalgam
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