• Hotels are offering steep discounts, but there are few takers
• Rates for shikara rides have come down from ₹1,200 a trip to ₹500, but most boats are still empty
• Many restaurants are closed

Two groups of tourists from the city who recently visited Srinagar found the heart of the Valley slowly returning to what it was a few months ago. They were among the first to visit Kashmir after the Pahalgam attack and the cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.

Many who had booked trips to Kashmir or to places like Leh with a stopover in Srinagar are still cancelling their plans, with some airlines extending the full refund window till mid-June.

Tourists at a restaurant in Pahalgam on Saturday. (PTI)

Tour operators in Kashmir said tourists have started returning, though in smaller numbers. They expect the footfall to increase in the coming months.

Calcutta airport officials said IndiGo would resume its direct flight to Srinagar from June 16. Around 100 passengers are already booked on the flight, sources said.

Souvik Dey, manager of Dolphin Travels, was in Srinagar on May 19 and 20 with 20 tourists on their way to Leh. The group originally had 50 tourists, but 30 cancelled after the Pahalgam massacre.

“I have been going to Srinagar since 2012 and usually visit seven to eight times a year. But this time, there were very few tourists and the roads were almost deserted,” said Dey.

“The area in front of Dal Lake would be crowded even at 11pm, particularly in May. But this time, there were only a handful of visitors in the evening.”

Dey said the rates for shikara rides have been slashed by more than half. “Usually, shikara rides cost around ₹1,200 on average, after much bargaining. But this time it was ₹400 to ₹500 because of the lack of tourists.”

Despite the discount, many shikaras had no takers.

“Many restaurants run by Bengalis were closed because they returned to Bengal after the Pahalgam attack and the tension between India and Pakistan that followed. I called one of them and told them tourists have returned,” said Dey.

Dry fruits and garment shops are open.

Basu Dutta, manager of Dolphin Global Tour and Travels, had taken another group of tourists from Calcutta to Srinagar, on their way to Leh, and stayed there on May 23 and 24. The group was supposed to have 40 tourists, but 15 cancelled.

They, too, found the roads in Srinagar mostly deserted.

“There were no security excesses. Although the restaurants were closed and shikaras on Dal Lake were empty, the warmth of the local people towards tourists has not changed,” said Dutta. “The locals were guiding our team members to locate stores.”

Businessman Rajib Ghosh, a resident of Sealdah, was there with his family and friends.

“We had planned the trip more than two months ago. We considered cancelling, but then decided to go ahead,” he said from Leh.

“In Srinagar, we walked on the streets and shopped. There were security personnel, but nothing in excess. We did not feel scared.”

Several tour operators said tourists need stronger assurances from the central government before they return to Kashmir in larger numbers.

“The number of tourists to Kashmir will go up once they are assured of safety and security,” said Anil Punjabi, national committee member, Travel Agents Federation of India, representing the eastern region.