Travel industry panics after J&K terror attack

The Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives has triggered widespread panic in eastern India’s travel industry, with tour operators reporting wide-spread cancellations of scheduled tours to Jammu and Kashmir.

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Industry leaders in Kolkata, a key hub for travel to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), claimed that the incident could undo years of recovery and growth that followed a long period of militancy in the valley.

The attack marks the first time in recent memory that tourists were specifically targeted, heightening safety concerns among travellers.

“This is madness,” said Bilolaksha Das, Chairman of the eastern chapter of the Travel Agents Federation of India.

“There had been terror attacks in Kashmir before. But never before were tourists identified and killed. The entire tourism industry and all its partners revolving around Kashmir, both in the valley and various parts of India, will go for a toss after this incident,” he said.

Das told PTI that tour operators have been receiving calls nonstop from panicked clients looking to cancel or defer their plans.

“Already several bookings have been cancelled since Tuesday night,” he said.

He pointed out that Kashmir was the top destination for most domestic travellers in the last few years during the summer holidays, with seven out of the 10 bookings being for the valley.