5 months on, Pahalgam shadow stays on tourism

FIVE months after the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, the tourism sector in Jammu and Kashmir continues to feel its impact, with hotel occupancy levels remaining near zero. In the first fortnight of this month, only 9,000 tourists visited Kashmir.

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The slump in tourism inflow has led to job cuts in the hospitality sector leaving the stakeholders grapple with economic distress. Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHARA) president, Gowhar Maqbool, said that the tourism is nowhere to be seen in the Valley. The tourism, he said, has yet not revived. The leading travel agents from across the country visited Kashmir after Pahalgam attack to help in revival of tourism and instill confidence among tourists to return to the picturesque Valley.