KOCHI: The April 22 Pahalgam terror attack has failed to deter the travel plans of many tourists, including Keralites. Most of the visitors, on pre-booked package tours, which don’t come cheap, are reluctant to give up on a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience. Even as Srinagar city and the entire region have turned into a virtual fortress, popular destinations such as Gulmarg and Dal Lake are once again swarming with tourists.
“The shutdown was lifted on Thursday. Our tour operator took us to popular spots on Thursday and Friday. However, security is tight in Srinagar. There were military and paramilitary personnel posted every 50 metres en route,” Jeeth Kumar, a resident of Thiruvananthapuram who along with his family, wound up their week-long Kashmir tour on Saturday, told TNIE over phone from Srinagar.
“We visited Dal Lake yesterday (Friday). There were plenty of tourists there, and many of the houseboats were operational. The previous day, we stopped by Gulmarg. We waited nearly three hours before we could ride the cable car,” Jeeth added. The family of four reached Srinagar on Monday night and flew back to Kerala on Saturday evening.
Local tour operators vouch that the situation is now under control with visitor numbers picking up, though not on the scale as before the attack. “This being peak tourist season, business was booming before the attack. Now, with the situation under control, we are receiving tourists from various states,” Ajaz Wani, a local tour operator, told TNIE over the phone. “We have even had tourists from Kerala.
But numbers are far lower than usual. We expect this to go up in the coming days. More tour operators from the state have contacted us, and we plan to resume Kashmir packages in the coming days,” added Ajaz, proprietor of Srinagar-based Sun in Snow Tour N Travels, which has tied up with major tour operators in Kerala.
However, the situation was worrying on Tuesday and Wednesday, when all hell broke loose following the terrorist attack on tourists. A widespread shutdown was observed in the valley, a first in nearly three decades.
“We were at Dal Lake when the attack happened after noon on April 22. However, we came to know about it only around 6 pm. By that time, most of the commercial establishments, including petrol stations, were closed. Even the next day, Srinagar, including the Old City area, wore a deserted look.
Security personnel were everywhere. Our tour operator said only those proceeding to the airport or seeking emergency services were allowed to venture out,” said Aishwarya S, who also hails from Thiruvananthapuram. She, along with her family arrived in Kashmir on the night of April 18 and flew back on Wednesday evening.