Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Monday ordered the reopening of 14 tourist spots in Jammu and Kashmir, closed since last year’s Pahalgam terror attack, following sustained demand from the tourism industry and chief minister Omar
Abdullah.
Eleven of the 14 places to be reopened are in the Kashmir division: Yousmarg and Doodhpathri in Budgam; Dandipora Park in Kokernag, Anantnag; Peer Ki Gali, Dubjan and Padpawan in Shopian; Astanpora and Tulip Garden in Srinagar; Thajwas Glacier and Hung Park in Ganderbal; and Wular-Watlab in Baramulla.
The three places to be reopened in the Jammu division are Devi Pindi in Reasi; Mahu Mangat in Ramban; and the Mughal Maidan in Kishtwar.
Officials said three more tourist spots in Kashmir (Gurez and Athwatoo in Bandipora and Bangus in Kupwara) and one in Jammu (Ramkund in Ramban) will also be reopened once the snow is cleared in these areas. These areas received heavy snowfall recently.
The decision comes days after Union home minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level security meeting in Jammu. Omar had urged Shah to reopen these destinations, a move he believes is necessary for bringing tourists back to the region in large numbers.
An official spokesperson said Sinha had ordered the reopenings after a security review and discussions.
Dozens of tourist destinations were closed in Kashmir following the April 22, 2025, attack in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam that killed 25 tourists and a local tour guide.
Sources said the mass closures had reinforced the idea that the Valley was unsafe for visitors, and paralysed tourism in the region.
Many of the places were gradually reopened. Tourism industry representatives said the latest order would throw most of the tourist hotspots across the Union Territory open to visitors.
Baisaran, the site of the deadly attack, remains an exception.
“While most tourist spots will be open after today’s order, it seems the restrictions on trekking routes remain in place,” a hiker from Srinagar said.
“These routes, including the Great Lakes trek, have been shut for around a year now. Many adventure-loving people used to come from across the country for trekking. We hope these routes will be reopened at theearliest.”
On February 7, Shah had said that enthusiasm for Kashmir remained strong among tourists across the country, and offered support for the development of new destinations in the region. Many here were left wondering about the logic of developing new sites while travel to several existing hotspots remained barred.
For the first time since last April, the Valley witnessed significant tourist footfall in January, leading to hopes of a revival this year.
Long job wait
Ten months after the Pahalgam terror attack claimed her father’s life, Asawari Jagdale is still waiting for the Maharashtra government to deliver on its promise of a job.
Asawari’s father Santosh Jagdale was one of the 26 people who were killed by the terrorists. Following the carnage, the state government had announced ₹50 lakh each to the families of the six victims from Maharashtra and government jobs to their next of kin.
“It has been 10 months since a promise was made that I would be getting a job in the government, but unfortunately, there has not been any development,” Asawari told reporters.
BJP leader Navnath Ban promised to escalate the delay to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. “The BJP’s stand is to support the Jagdale family and other families affected by the terror attack. I will personally take up the matter with the chief minister,” Ban said.
Additional reporting by PTI