Can Tech Fix Kashmir Tourism?

Real-time apps, virtual tours, and influencer campaigns are part of a digital strategy to revive Kashmir's fragile tourism economy.

- Khalid Mustafa

Pahalgam was supposed to be peaceful with its lush meadows, wooden cottages, river sounds. But after a recent attack on a group of tourists, the mood changed fast. Fear returned, so did silence. And one question lingered in the air: Will the tourists come back?

In Jammu and Kashmir, tourism is a lifeline. Boatmen on Dal Lake, guesthouse owners in Pahalgam, pashmina weavers in downtown Srinagar depend on travellers.

According to pre-pandemic data, tourism made up about 7 to 8 percent of the region’s economy. In good years, over 10 million tourists visited. In bad years, even the locals stayed indoors.

Every violent episode chips away at that number. And every dip in tourist flow pulls more families toward financial ruin.

But what if recovery didn’t depend only on roadblocks, soldiers, and PR slogans? What if healing came from Wi-Fi signals, satellite apps, and Instagram reels?

Imagine a traveller in Mumbai who wants to visit Gulmarg. He opens his phone and searches for “Is Kashmir safe right now?” The top results: outdated news articles, opinion pieces, and panic posts.

What if, instead, he finds a live dashboard: verified weather alerts, road conditions, security updates, real-time crowd maps of tourist spots?

The idea isn’t futuristic. It’s possible. It just hasn’t been done yet.

The region could invest in a centralized “Safe Travel Kashmir” app, a place where tourists can book hotels, check safety zones, chat with local guides, even access emergency contacts.

It's not just about convenience. It’s about giving people control, in a place where unpredictability is the norm.