Pahalgam Terror Attack: A day after a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination in Jammu and Kashmir, that claimed 26 lives, travel bookings to Kashmir from various parts of India have reportedly witnessed a dramatic drop. Up to 90 per cent of travel bookings to the hilly state have been cancelled owing to safety concerns, PTI reported, citing Delhi-based travel agencies.
The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow group of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Nearly 25 people have cancelled their bookings for their Kashmir trip, Gaurav Rathi, owner of Swan Travellers, told the news agency.
Rathi further said that most tourists who had planned to visit Kashmir next month are now cancelling their bookings. The report also highlighted that there were some tourists who were currently negotiating to change their plans to some alternative destinations.
“We had a few bookings from families. From bus and flight tickets to hotels — everything was booked in advance. But the moment the news of the terror attack broke, we started receiving calls for cancellations,” Dev, the owner of Kusha Travels, told the news agency.
Kartik Verma, a travel agent from Good Guide Tours and Travels, highlighted that some people were asking for refunds, stating that they could not risk their loved ones visiting a place that was recently subject to a terrorist attack.
“We had more than 20 bookings for Kashmir for this month and next month, but almost all of those have been cancelled indefinitely,” Verma told the news portal.
Many other travel agencies also cited the concerns that some bookings, like flight tickets and hotel bookings, are non-refundable, creating a “real mess” for the tour agencies.
Additional flights out of Srinagar
SpiceJet was among two other domestic carriers that announced additional flights out of Srinagar airport on Wednesday, April 23.
A SpiceJet spokesperson announced that the company is extending its waivers on the rescheduling and cancellation policies for flights departing and landing at Srinagar airport.
This extension of waivers will be applicable to all bookings made on or before April 22, and the offer will be valid till April 30.
“In light of the recent tragedy in Pahalgam, SpiceJet is extending waivers on rescheduling and cancellations for travel to and from Srinagar, valid until April 30, 2025. This applies to all bookings made on or before April 22,” the SpiceJet spokesperson said.
The company also announced that it will be operating an additional flight between Srinagar and Delhi on April 23.
Apart from SpiceJet, Air India and Indigo announced additional flights on Wednesday for passengers’ convenience.
“In view of the prevailing situation, Air India will operate two additional flights from Srinagar to Delhi and Mumbai on Wednesday, 23rd April,” the airline said in a social media post on X.
The post mentioned that Air India operated two flights, the first from Srinagar to Delhi at 11:30 am, and the second from Srinagar to Mumbai at 12 noon, according to a post on April 23.
“Air India is also offering complimentary rescheduling and full refunds on cancellations to passengers with confirmed bookings till 30th April 2025 on these sectors,” said the company in the post.
The low-cost carrier Indigo also announced two extra flights out of Srinagar, according to their travel advisory released on Wednesday.
“We’ve extended waivers on rescheduling/cancellation. We’re also operating two special flights on April 23,” according to Indigo’s social media post.
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