Kashmir's hotels, houseboats reel from Pahalgam terror blow

Travellers to Kashmir are cancelling plans, rescheduling visits and avoiding fresh bookings after Tuesday's terror attacks, throwing a blanket of gloom over its picturesque valley and snow mountains.

- Varuni Khosla & Irfan Amin Malik

Travel operators, hoteliers and houseboat owners are bracing for a sharp setback in the coming weeks, after the strike killed at least 26 and injured 12.

The strike and its aftermath spell debt, losses and economic uncertainty for over two million people in the region, who depend on hundreds of thousands of visitors arriving every year.

The attack has had a deep impact, acknowledged Nazir Rah, managing director of Rah Bagh by The Orchard, a boutique 41-key property with suites overlooking the serene Dal lake. "We have received a few cancellations from guests who are already in Kashmir, and we are in the process of refunding them money or providing credit notes. This gruesome act against innocent people will undoubtedly have an immediate impact on our tourism industry."

According to the Valley's houseboat owners and some hoteliers, occupancy rates stood at around 80% before the attack. However, the incident has triggered a wave of cancellations, shrinking occupancy to 10-20%.

Fear has also dried up fresh bookings. Muzaffar Ahmad Lone, who runs a guesthouse in Pahalgam, said the region emptied overnight. Wednesday is also a bandh in the state.