 "'Not giving up yet': Pahalgam locals, businesses wait for tourists to flock to 'Mini India' once again")
A month after terrorists gunned down 26 people in Pahalgam, making it the worst attack in recent memory, tourist arrivals in the town have been sparse. The incident dealt a major blow to tourism in Pahalgam and Jammu and Kashmir in general, as locals wait for travellers.
The Pahalgam Hotels and Owners Association has said that the occupancy rate has dropped to 10 per cent in the past month, with over 1,500 hotels in the town going empty. Local restaurants, whose staff depend on tourists for their livelihood, can’t find customers to serve food.
Javed Burza, president of the PHOA, told The Hindu, “There are many big hotels with zero occupancy. Many hotels asked their staff to stay home till tourists return. It (Pahalgam terror attack) was a gruesome and scary incident. Tourism prospects remain bleak as of now.”
Since the terrorist attack, only a few tourists have visited Pahalgam, and they have mostly stayed near the scenic riverbank. All parks in Pahalgam, as well as nearby attractions like Betaab Valley, Aru Valley, Chandanwari, Lidderwat, Sheshnag, Tulian Lake, and the Kolhai Glacier, have been closed to visitors and tourists.
‘Even Kashmiris don’t visit Pahalgam’
Mohit Kumar, a waiter from UP who works at a restaurant in Pahalgam, told Times of India, “We called Pahalgam ‘Mini India’. We were among the first restaurants to open, confident that tourism in these parts would only grow bigger. Now, the situation is such that not even Kashmiris visit Pahalgam.”
Meanwhile, the owner of the restaurant, Muhammad Tasneem has pinned hope on the next festive season for the resurgence of tourism in the town. He said, “Hopefully, the tourist footfall will increase during Diwali. We have seen the worst over the past three decades, and hopefully this too shall pass.”
Just a few metres from the restaurant, 18-year-old Darshan Ram sells wooden souvenirs like key holders, key chains, pen boxes, and toy shikaras engraved with phrases such as “I love Kashmir” or “Gift from Kashmir.” Before the Pahalgam massacre, his family used to earn between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 daily from these sales.
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More ShortsHe told TOI, “In the past 10 days, I haven’t sold anything.”
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