Major blow to Valley tourism; hotel bookings vanish, staff sent on leave

The Kashmir Valley’s tourism sector is facing a significant setback following last month’s terror attack in Pahalgam and escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. Tourism associations in the valley report massive cancellations for May, typically a peak tourism month, with hotel bookings vanishing.

Gowhar Maqbool, president of the Kashmir Hotels And Restaurants Owners Association, described the situation as “very tough”.

“The occupancy in Srinagar hotels is almost minuscule. As a trade, we are almost finished. There is very little occupancy right now in Srinagar hotels,” said Maqbool, whose association includes 1,200 hotels and restaurants.

He added that there is little that can be done, and everyone hopes the situation will soon return to normal. “Talks about war between the two countries have also impacted the sector,” Maqbool stated.

Rauf Tramboo, president of the Travel Agents Association of Kashmir, said the situation has not improved regarding new arrivals. “Tour cancellations for May that occurred in the initial stages were 50-60 percent. There were more after that,” he noted.

Tramboo added, however, that cancellations have stopped to some extent. He further stated, “We are hoping that from June onwards, we will see a revival in tourism.”

A Srinagar hotel located close to Dal Lake reported that only two of its 42 rooms were occupied on Saturday. Another hotelier said they have told staff to go home until the “situation improves.”

He explained that due to the escalation and talk of war between India and Pakistan, only a small number of tourists are visiting. “I told the staff to go home for a few days,” the hotelier said, adding that it was not possible to “feed a large staff when income is almost negligible.”

The tourism industry is particularly worried because people have invested heavily in it over the years. “People have chopped down apple trees and started building hotels because it was a booming business,” said Tramboo.

In a gesture of solidarity, the Pahalgam Hotel and Guest House Owners Association last week decided to waive 25 percent of tariff rates for tourists as a tribute to recent victims of violence. The association also acknowledged the “multiple hardships and difficulties with respect to employment and other means” faced by the local population in Pahalgam.