Tourists flee Indian administered Kashmir after deadly attack

Indian tourist brochures often refer to the Himalayan region of Indian administered Kashmir as "Little Switzerland", with its scenic meadows typically filled with visitors escaping the intense summer heat of the plains.

On Wednesday, a day after gunmen killed 26 men in an attack on the popular tourist site of Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reported an "exodus of our guests".

For New Delhi, the 3.5 million tourists who it says visited Kashmir in 2024 -- mostly domestic visitors -- illustrated what officials called "normalcy and peace" returning to the troubled region after a massive crackdown.

Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting for independence. Thousands of people have been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.

India has an estimated 500,000 soldiers permanently deployed in the territory.

Panic and departure after Pahalgam attack

A day after the attack, the region's deadliest assault on civilians since 2000, tourists scrambled to leave, cramming into buses and taxis, while hoteliers reported a surge of cancellations.

At Pahalgam, the site of the attack, the usually tranquil meadows surrounded by pine forests and snowcapped mountains, reverberated with the thumping sounds of military helicopters taking part in a vast manhunt for the attackers.

Around 24 hours after the attack, smears of blood were still visible at the site of attack, now patrolled by soldiers dressed in bulletproof jackets.

A tourist sits on the banks of Dal Lake with her belongings as she waits for transport to leave for Srinagar airport following an attack near south Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 23, 2025.Reuters

Soldiers guarded the entrance, as forensic investigators collected evidence.

Until Tuesday afternoon, Hotel Mount View in Pahalgam was sold out for months, manager Abdul Salam told AFP.

But since news of the killings broke, he has been inundated with people scrapping their travel plans.

"This tragedy will paralyze business in Kashmir," he said. "We are trying hard to reassure our customers who may still want to come."

Tourism and tensions in the shadow of conflict

Indian authorities have heavily promoted the mountainous region known for its lush valleys as a holiday destination, both for skiing during the winter months, and to escape the sweltering heat elsewhere in India during the summer.

A string of resorts are being developed, including some close to the heavily militarized de facto border that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

The region is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.
Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars – in 1948, 1965, and 1971 – two of them over Kashmir.

Also, in the Siachen glacier in northern Kashmir, Indian and Pakistani troops have fought intermittently since 1984. A cease-fire came into effect in 2003.

"It's heartbreaking to see the exodus of our guests from the valley after yesterday’s tragic terror attack in Pahalgam, but at the same time we totally understand why people would want to leave," Abdullah said in a statement.

Indian police officers stand guard outside the police control room in Srinagar following an attack near south Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 23, 2025.Reuters

India's Director General of Civil Aviation Faiz Ahmed Kidwai issued a letter which called on airlines to "take swift action to increase the number of flights...facilitating the evacuation of tourists".

Air India said Wednesday it had laid on extra flights "in view of the prevailing situation".

Tourist Paras Sawla, from India's financial hub Mumbai, said many visitors were "fearful" after the attack.

He was seeking to get the first flight home that he could. But the saddest part, he said, was that ordinary Kashmiri people, famous for their hospitality, were doing all they could to help.

"We are not scared of the public here", Sawla said. "They are very supportive, helping out with whatever we need."