The Pahalgam terror attack has triggered a landslide of cancellations by those who had been planning vacations in Kashmir this summer.
The Valley became the most sought-after destination among Calcuttans in the past few years, but Tuesday’s bloodbath might once again erase it from the travel map, feared tour operators.
Many of those cancelling their trips to Kashmir are looking at other destinations like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Airfares to Srinagar have started dropping as demand slumped, said airline sources.
Patuli resident Krishnakali Chowdhury had booked a seven-day trip to Kashmir from July 5. Her itinerary included a two-night stay at Pahalgam.
“Given the situation, we cancelled the bookings and flight tickets on Wednesday,” said Chowdhury. She was to go to Kashmir with her husband, son and daughter.
A tour operator said six groups of tourists, each with around 40 people, had booked trips to Kashmir between the end of April and the beginning of May. All of them cancelled their trips on Wednesday.
There is a sense of panic among tourists and they don’t want to go to Kashmir now, tour operators said.
“We have to refund booking amounts. Some others are looking for alternative destinations like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand,” said Raktim Roy, managing director of Dolphin Travels.
Another tour operator in the city said he had four groups booked for Kashmir in May.
“About 40 tourists were going in groups. All of them said they were not willing to go to Kashmir now and want to cancel,” said Bilolaksha Das, proprietor of Citi Travels.
Some airlines offered waivers on cancellation and rescheduling charges for travel to and from Srinagar.
“We understand the concerns and difficulties our customers may be facing due to the current situation in Pahalgam. Our focus is on delivering compassionate support to those who need immediate attention during this challenging time,” IndiGo said in a statement.
“To support those travelling to/from Srinagar, IndiGo is offering waivers for cancellation fees or rescheduling charges. IndiGo has added special flights to Srinagar from Delhi and Mumbai with immediate effect and will be operating these over and above the regular schedule of 160 weekly flights from / to Srinagar from various parts of India,” the airline said.
“In view of the emergent situation, we have taken steps to keep the fares moderated,” it added.
Sources in several airlines said airfares to Kashmir were dropping.
On average, the usual one-way fare between Calcutta and Srinagar in the peak summer season is between ₹14,000 and ₹15,000. The fare has come down to around ₹10,000 for the next few days, said sources in airlines.
Tourists’ demand for Kashmir went up after the Covid pandemic when many international destinations were inaccessible because of restrictions.
The demand rose further over the past year, said tour operators. One of the reasons was direct flight connectivity from Calcutta.
“A major chunk of tourists to Kashmir come from Bengal. We see all categories of tourists — budget, mid-segment and luxury — from Bengal. From some other states like Gujarat, we get mid-segment and luxury categories of tourists,” said Shamim Shah, chairman, Travel Agents Federation of India, Jammu & Kashmir.
Some tour operators said the central government should be more proactive about security arrangements in Kashmir to restore the sense of security among tourists.
“There should be tourist police deployed at all the popular places in Kashmir,” said Anil Punjabi, national committee member, Travel Agents Federation of India, representing eastern region.