Pahalgam wears ghost town’s look after attack insidelooknews

A day after the deadly attack in which at least 26 people were Security personnels patrol on Wednesday morning in the Pahalgam area of Anantnag in south Kashmir on April 23, 2025.
| Photo Credit: IMRAN NISSAR

Pahalgam, a favourite among honeymooners and leisure travellers, wore a ghost town’s look on Wednesday. Over 90% of around 20,000 hotel rooms went empty in just 24 hours of the Baisaran attack that left 26 civilians, mostly tourists, dead.

Till Tuesday morning, most hotels had been running full and queries kept local tour operators busy all day. “We are now getting calls for cancellations. We try to convince prospective guests to wait a while. Most insist on immediate cancellations though,” Javed Burza, president of the Pahalgam Hotels and Owners Association, told The Hindu.

Pahalgam terrorist attack: Follow LIVE updates on April 23, 2025

The economy of Pahalgam, which has no other industry, depends on tourism. “Very few tourists stayed back in Pahalgam after the attack. Most hotels are empty now. Out of 58 rooms, only four are occupied at my hotel. They too are leaving tomorrow,” Mr. Burza, who owns Hotel Mount View, said. “Tourism season for Kashmir is done and dusted,” he added.

Mr. Burza said the past three years saw a significant increase in the tourist footfall in Kashmir, especially in Pahalgam, which also resulted in additional investments made by the local people into new hotels and eateries. “The Pahalgam attack has a catastrophic impact on Kashmir tourism. The attack is inhuman and highly condemnable,” Mr. Burza said.

Eateries shut

Most of the eateries in Pahalgam remained shut on Wednesday, in the wake of shutdown calls issued by several bodies of taxi owners, hoteliers and pony operators. Protesters raised slogans against the attackers during the street protests. “Tourists are the lifeline of Pahalgam. The image of Pahalgam of being a peaceful place is shattered,” a taxi driver said.

A day after the deadly attack in which at least 26 people were killed, tourists leave hotels on Wednesday morning in the Pahalgam area of Anantnag in south Kashmir on April 23, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
IMRAN NISSAR

The J&K Police provided a safe passage to tourists to leave Pahalgam. No tourist was allowed to enter Pahalgam. “There was panic among tourists. We assured them of safety. More than 200 vehicles shifted the tourists out of Pahalgam on Wednesday,” said Vassu Aggarwal, a police officer of DSP rank.

Flights, trains arranged

Meanwhile, additional flights and trains were pressed into service on Wednesday to carry panic-stricken tourists out of Kashmir. “I decided to cut short my 10-day trip after the attack,” Sachin Khandelwal, a tourist, said.

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed sorrow over the exodus of tourists from Kashmir. “It’s heartbreaking to see the exodus of our guests from the valley. We totally understand why people would want to leave. While the Ministry of Civil Aviation is working to organise extra flights, the NH-44 between Srinagar and Jammu has been reconnected for traffic in a single direction. I’ve directed the administration to facilitate traffic between Srinagar and Jammu allowing tourist vehicles to leave,” Mr. Abdullah said.

Dozens of tourists staying in Gulmarg and Sonamarg also rushed to Srinagar to leave the Valley. The Pahalgam attack has cast a long shadow over tourism prospects of the region at a time when the season was just picking up.

Last year, more than 26 lakh tourists visited Kashmir.