Only 28 of the 48 destinations in the Kashmir Valley that were closed after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam have been reopened. While waiting for the Lieutenant Governor to give clearance to the rest to resume operations, locals who are dependent on tourism for their livelihoods worry about unpaid loans and unsteady jobs. It has impacted tourism in the Valley.
With its sprawling meadows, crystal clear streams, and evergreen pine trees, Doodhpathri has been an increasingly popular choice for both domestic and international tourists over the last few years. However, this year, it remains deserted and quiet. It is among the 48 destinations that closed for tourists after the terror attack in the Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam left 26 people dead on April 22 earlier this year.
By September, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had reopened 28 of the 48 destinations in the Kashmir Valley in a phased manner. The rest await clearance from his office. The places reopened included Pahalgam, where the attack took place, and popular tourist sites such as Gulmarg and Sonamarg. Doodhpathri, located more than 126 km away from Pahalgam and walled by a series of mountain ranges, remains closed, along with other prominent destinations such as Yusmarg, Tosamaidan, Drang, Nilnag, and Aharbal. This decision has impacted thousands of locals in these places, who earn their living from tourism. It is learnt that a security audit is still underway and the destinations will be re-opened after the audit is completed. As of now, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel are manning Doodhpathri and the J&K Police have set up a barricade to ensure that outsiders, including journalists, do not enter these destinations.
Doodpathri recorded less than 50,000 tourists in 2011; this increased to the highest-ever figure of 18 lakh in 2024. This year, according to the Tourism Department’s figures, only 1.25 lakh visited the place in the first four months. The earlier booming tourism in Doodpathri not only changed the economy of the place, but also the status of women. For the first time in their lives, women were like the working men of the Valley villages, who earned their own money and met their own needs. They also started buying new clothes without pressing their husbands for it, and ate what they wanted to. They sit on the streets serving roasted corn to visitors.
With the number of tourists rising over time, more women set up tea stalls in and around Doodhpathri. Social media ‘influencers’ soon turned up at these stalls to shoot Reels of kehwa, a piping hot brew of crushed almonds, saffron, cardamon, and cinnamon. The stalls also popularised home-made collard greens, chutney of onions and walnut, pickles, and corn flour rotis.
According to the 2011 Census, Raiyar had a population of 1,937. Many labourers of the village, who worked as carpenters and plumbers in Srinagar, switched to the tourism sector to earn their living. Officials of the Doodhpathri Development Authority (DDA) say Raiyar has around 400 families of which 80% depend on tourism. There is growing distress among those who availed Bank loans to invest in the tourism sector. The youth, who availed loan of Rs. 5.5 lakh and invested buying an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) in 2024, seeing the leap in tourist numbers.
In 2024, the DDA granted 29 permissions to shoot films and music videos at the destination. The government intended to introduce activities such as skiing and paragliding to entertain visitors this year. These plans have been put on hold. The situation is equally grim at Kulgam’s Aharbal, around 50 km away from Doodhpathri. Aharbal is home to a 25-metre-high waterfall, popularly known as the ‘Niagara Falls of Kashmir’, on the Veshu river.
The Pahalgam attack has struck a major dent in Kashmir’s tourism industry this year. “Kashmir has not even been able to touch 25-30% of the record number of tourists (26 lakh) who visited in 2024,” says Farooq Kuthoo, president of the Travel Agents Association of Kashmir. Official figures say that Kashmir received 7.53 lakh tourists, including 15,319 foreigners, and 7.38 lakh visitors in the first six months this year. This is a dip of over 52% compared to the 15.65 lakh for the same period in 2024.
The continued closure of major destinations has impacted both itineraries as well as the number of days of stay for tourists. For a week-long trip, tourists get to travel to the golden triangle of Gulmarg, Pahalgam, and Sonamarg. However, the tour operators could not make an elaborate itinerary that includes major off-beat destinations.
There has been a steady retrenchment of hotel staff in Pahalgam after the attack. Most hotels have a retrenchment rate of 40-50% this year. Pahalgam has a population of around 10,000. Without orchards or rice fields, its economy is driven by tourism. They are the worst affected. The situation has pushed many into depression.
The Union Ministry of Tourism had declared Aru as one of the winners of the Best Tourism Villages Competition 2024 on World Tourism Day. Aru has never been closed in the past for tourists. It has attracted foreign tourists for years and remained peaceful by and large. This is the worst-ever tourism season this year since the 1990s.
The closure of key destinations has impacted local taxi operators, guides, and travel agents in many places. Several Srinagar-based travel companies have reduced their staff number because of the prolonged closure and decreased footfall. Many locals associated with adventure tourism are also idle because trekking in most mountain passes surrounding the Kashmir Valley has been stopped too.
The elected government of J&K, headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, is not on the same page as the Lieutenant Governor’s administration on the prolonged closure of tourist destinations. Abdullah says the J&K government, even at the peak of militancy in 1996, did not take any drastic measures, keeping tourist destinations out of bounds. It is high time to reopen all the tourist destinations keeping constant vigil on Pakistan sponsored terrorists to disrupt their evil design.
