After the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, on April 22, which resulted in the deaths of 26 tourists, many travelers from West Bengal are now choosing to visit other destinations like Shimla in Himachal Pradesh or Ooty in Tamil Nadu instead of Kashmir. However, some people who have already booked trips to Kashmir are deciding to wait and see what happens rather than cancel their plans and lose money, according to travel agents.
Anil Punjabi, a member of the Travel Agents Federation of India, mentioned that many tourists have already arranged trips to Kashmir in May and June. They are waiting for updates from the government, and if they get the green light, many are still willing to go to Kashmir. He noted that there haven’t been many cancellations for scheduled trips to the region.
On the flip side, tourists who haven’t finalized their summer vacation plans are leaning towards other hill stations instead of Kashmir due to the recent attack. Popular choices include Shimla, Ooty, and various locations in Uttarakhand.
Tourism expert Dibyendu Ghosh added that there haven’t been many requests to cancel trips so far. He believes that travelers are taking their time before making any decisions about their Kashmir plans. However, those who haven’t booked yet are opting for destinations like Shimla and Ooty, with some also considering hill stations near Dehradun or Nainital.
Iqbal Mollah, the former head of the Travel Agent Association of India and now the president of the Global Tourism Council, expressed his concerns about the significant losses the tourism sector is facing after the attack. He pointed out that the recent incident has seriously affected travel plans. Many tourists had intended to visit Kashmir this year, but these events have greatly influenced both local and international tourism.
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