Last-minute cancellations; arrangement for alternate holiday destinations such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and even Nepal; and credit notes against advance payments: Tour operators in Gujarat are dealing with the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack with many tourists from the state now reluctant to go to the Valley for a trip.
Around 3 lakh Gujarati tourists were scheduled to visit Kashmir this year – a surge from the usual average of around 2 lakh tourists, industry insiders said.
Many of them also said that Baisaran Valley, where the attack that left 26 dead took place on Tuesday, didn’t feature in their itinerary since they believed that the remote area was fraught with risks.
The tour operators said a number of tourists, who were scheduled to travel to Kashmir in the next one week, have already cancelled their plans and are exploring other options.
Siddiq Gandhi of Vadodara-based Gandhi Travels, who is also a Member of the Governing Body of the Federation of Private Bus Operators Gujarat, told The Indian Express: “According to our estimate, this season, the number of Gujarati tourists visiting Kashmir was supposed to be around 3 lakh until June… The increasing air fares is a key marker of the surge as the return air tickets to Srinagar became as expensive as Rs 40,000 per person for May and June and yet, saw almost 100% bookings… In fact, we suggested to a few people earlier to explore a vacation in Dubai as the air fare was cheaper.”
Several tourists also travel by rail to Srinagar and then to various locations in Kashmir for sightseeing.
With the terror attack in the peak of the holiday season, tour operators are now offering Himachal Pradesh, the North-East and Uttarakhand as alternate destinations to patrons seeking cancellations of their Kashmir tour.
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Director of Akshar Travels Private Limited in Ahmedabad, Suhag Modi said, “All our bookings till April 30 have been cancelled. And as an ethical practice, we are giving them options of either rescheduling the trip, changing the destination, or refunding the full amount without any cancellation charge.”
He said that many people have now started considering rescheduling their travel plans.
“Their immediate choice could be Himachal Pradesh since it is close to J&K and is a cold region. We also offer them places like Dehradun, Mussoorie and Nainital in Uttarakhand, besides the North East and Darjeeling. Some people may also choose hill stations in South India like Ooty, Kodaikanal, Coorg and Kabini,” as per Suhag Modi.
Ajay Modi, owner of Ajay Modi Travels Private Limited in Ahmedabad, said, “Over two lakh Gujaratis choose Jammu & Kashmir as their travel destination every year now. The location has witnessed a surge, especially a year after abrogation of Article 370 in J&K.”
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Ajay said that following the Pahalgam attack, many people have started cancelling their trips. “In that case, we offer them a credit note of the advance payment they have made. This note has to be utilised in the next two years. People are also rescheduling their travel plans and choosing alternate locations like Sikkim, Nainital, Mussoorie etc.,” he said.
Gandhi, who has a group of tourists continuing their vacation in other parts of Kashmir after the Baisaran attack, said, “We have received calls for cancellations of tours scheduled in the next few days as there is panic among people… We do expect that the government will assure the tourists as shutting down the Valley will not benefit anyone. The tourists who are currently in other parts of Kashmir have decided to continue their tour. We have a bus that is in Srinagar today (Thursday); our other bus had departed from Pahalgam just a day before the attack.”
Gandhi said his company had been offering alternate tours to Nepal as the cost for North-East was also “skyrocketing” in the current season.
Why Baisaran was not on their to-do list
According to the tour operators, Baisaran valley — although a tourist hot-spot for being promoted as “mini Switzerland” in recent years — did not feature on the itinerary of planned tours, given the “risky terrain and remote location”. Ajay Modi said that in the brochure of tours of Jammu & Kashmir organised by his company, Baisaran is mentioned as an attraction where people can go “on their own, at their own expense and risk”.
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Elaborating that the scenic valley has always been prone to danger, Gandhi said, “Conducted tours do not offer Baisaran on the itinerary as we are aware of the risks. It is a remote, isolated location and barely has security presence due to its terrain. It is surrounded by jungles and the approach is not motorable, making it an expensive and time-consuming trip, not worth the risk…”
He further said, “In Anantnag, we stick to the Hajan valley, also known as Betaab valley (named after Sunny Deol-starrer Betaab), which is just as scenic and does not involve risk of life as one does not need to travel on ponies. Baisaran has gained popularity in recent years due to social media but is only frequented by those exploring Kashmir on their own. Local guides entice tourists to visit Baisaran as stalls and gaming areas have been set up by villagers in the area. Another option is Doodhpathri (in Budgam district), which is also known for its beauty and is safe.”
Gandhi feels that although normalcy will return the way it did after the 2017 attack on a bus carrying Gujarati Amarnath Yatra pilgrims, the recent attack will affect tourism in the immediate future. “There is no doubt that tourism will take a hit to an extent. The effect may also be seen on the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, depending on how things develop from here… Although tour operators have unlimited insurance coverage, we will certainly not be keen to risk lives.”
Tourists in a dilemma
Tourists from Gujarat, who were looking forward to visiting the Valley this summer, are now weighing their options. Henal Parikh, a resident of Vadodara, who meticulously planned a seven-night stay in Kashmir in mid-May, is now in two minds about proceeding with the trip. “The terror attack has shaken us but we are undecided if we should call off the plan or wait. We sought advice from our travel agent and he has asked us to wait… In any case, the current waivers on cancellation announced by airlines and some hotels are only for bookings up to April 30. If things are peaceful and tension does not escalate on the borders, we might make the trip and skip all the remote areas that can be risky. We were looking forward to the trip,” Parikh said.
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Kripesh Parmar, a resident from Anand, who had planned to celebrate his third wedding anniversary in Kashmir, is not as optimistic, though. “I had booked a tour to Kashmir, including Baisaran valley, after seeing much praise about it on social media… My wife and I were to travel on April 28 for 10 days but we have now cancelled the bookings after seeing the visuals after the attack. We do not see any point in taking a chance with other locations in Kashmir as well… one cannot say if this was just an isolated incident. We are looking at other options like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. We will finalise in a day or two,” he said.
