'Jaan Hai Toh Jahaan Hai': Bengal Operators Cancel Kashmir Tours As Pahalgam Attack Spooks Tourists
Most tourists currently in Kashmir are cutting their trips short and returning home, while those who had plans in the coming months are cancelling their reservations
Tuesday’s terror attack in Pahalgam, which led to 26 tourists losing their lives, has delivered a significant blow to Kashmir’s tourism industry. In the aftermath of the tragedy, several tour operators from West Bengal have started cancelling their planned trips to the region.
Kundu Travels, one of the most prominent travel agencies in Bengal, was scheduled to take a group of 43 tourists to Kashmir this Thursday. The tour has now been cancelled. Another upcoming tour has also seen several cancellations from participants. Speaking to News18, Soumitra Kundu, one of the owners of Kundu Travels, said: “It’s not possible to take tourists right now. We fear we may have to cancel our May 1 tour as well. The situation needs to normalise. People are panicked. This attack is clearly targeted at tourism. In the last four years, the number of tourists visiting Kashmir has almost tripled—they wanted to attack that growth."
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Bengalis, a community known for its love for travel, were one of the biggest contributors to Kashmir’s tourism industry and had visited the scenic spots in droves.
Anjani Dhanuka, chairman of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), eastern region, and owner of Aircom Travel, told News18: “People have started cancelling their Kashmir travel plans. Everyone is saying, ‘Jaan hai to jahan hai’—life comes first. Tourism had really flourished in the past four years. This is an attack on that progress."
Most tourists currently in Kashmir are cutting their trips short and returning home. Sources say the state government is in touch with travel agencies and tour operators.
Minu Chatterjee, who had booked a family trip to Kashmir for May, told News18: “We were all excited to visit Kashmir, but since Tuesday, we are in shock. We were supposed to stay in Pahalgam. We’ve now cancelled it. It’s such a beautiful place, but look at what’s happening. Eight members of our family were going—we’ve called it off."
Experts say the incident has severely impacted the mindset of travellers and rebuilding confidence will take time.
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