Srinagar, May 17, 2025 – Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced that the administration is focusing on ensuring a safe and incident-free Amarnath Yatra, as the region grapples with a severe downturn in tourism during the summer season. Speaking at a meeting with the Hoteliers Association at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar, Abdullah highlighted the challenges facing the tourism sector following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists.
“Tourism has been hit quite badly. We hardly have any tourists coming in the summer season,” Abdullah said, as reported by ANI. “We are now focusing on the Amarnath Yatra. We want the Amarnath Yatra to pass incident-free. We want the devotees coming for the Amarnath Yatra to go back safe and sound after their visit.” The annual pilgrimage, scheduled to begin on July 3, 2025, is a critical event for the region, attracting hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to the Amarnath cave shrine via the Pahalgam and Baltal routes.
The Pahalgam terror attack, claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, triggered an exodus of tourists, with tour operators reporting up to 80% cancellations. The attack, one of the deadliest in Kashmir in decades, shattered the region’s tourism revival, which had seen a record 2.3 crore tourist arrivals in 2025, following 1.88 crore in 2022 and 2.11 crore in 2023, according to the J&K Tourism Department. The tourism sector, contributing approximately 8% to the Union Territory’s GDP, faces significant economic strain, with stakeholders like hoteliers, houseboat owners, shikara operators, and artisans under financial pressure from loan repayments and fixed overheads.
Omar Abdullah assured stakeholders that the J&K administration is committed to reviving tourism through a comprehensive tourism revival plan, to be developed in collaboration with the Tourism Department after the Yatra concludes. “We will explore the possibility of loan deferments for at least two quarters to provide temporary relief,” he said, proposing a relief package that supports hotels, transport operators, and handicraft businesses. He also plans to advocate for a dedicated relief package from the Government of India, addressing both tourism and border area damages caused by recent cross-border shelling.
To rebuild confidence, Abdullah highlighted ongoing interest in promotional activities and FAM (Familiarisation) tours, noting, “I have been receiving calls from individuals and organizations eager to promote Jammu and Kashmir and bring back tourists in large numbers.” He pledged to personally participate in campaigns once the situation stabilizes. Innovative measures, such as shopping festivals, cultural performances, and restarting laser fountain shows, were also proposed to enhance the tourist experience.
The Chief Minister emphasized the importance of a secure Yatra, with heightened security measures in place, including coordination with the Indian Army, J&K Police, and CRPF. The administration is also addressing ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC), with Abdullah noting that the ceasefire remains intact and damage assessments are underway to compensate affected residents. The J&K government is working to ensure smooth logistics for the Yatra, including facilitating traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44), which was recently disrupted by landslides.
As Jammu and Kashmir navigates these challenges, Abdullah’s administration is balancing immediate priorities—ensuring a peaceful Amarnath Yatra—with long-term goals of economic recovery and tourism revival. The success of the pilgrimage is seen as a critical step toward restoring confidence in Kashmir as a safe and welcoming destination.
