Srinagar, April 28: Undeterred by the recent terror attack, top Bollywood actor Atul Kulkarni visited Pahalgam and urged people not to abandon the Valley in fear.
Kulkarni, who traveled to Pahalgam just days after the tragic incident at Baisaran meadow, sent a strong message of resilience and solidarity. “Kashmir humara hai (Kashmir is ours),” the actor said, emphasizing that terrorism should not dictate the spirit of the people or deter them from visiting Kashmir.
Speaking to reporters during his visit, Kulkarni said, “We must continue to stand with Kashmir and its people. Cancelling our plans to come here only helps those who want to spread fear. We must not let terror win.”
His visit is being seen as a symbolic act of defiance against those trying to disrupt peace and tourism in the region, which has long been hailed as “Paradise on Earth.”
The attack on April 22, in which gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists, has been described as one of the deadliest acts of terrorism in Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370.
Residents welcomed his gesture, thanking him for supporting tourism and showing solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir at a difficult time.
The attack has had a cascading effect on the tourism industry. Not only has big and small hoteliers suffered, every stakeholder is staring at huge loss. Thousands of people who work in hotels and restaurants on contract basis season to season are at the verge of losing jobs. Waiters, cooks, housekeeping staff, transporters and people from other allied sectors are readying to face another season of joblessness.
Kashmir was witnessing a massive tourist boom this year. More than 5,25 lakh tourists visited the valley in just the first three months and one week of 2025. This includes 5,14,845 domestic and 10,427 foreign tourists, giving a major push to the local economy and bringing smiles to people who depend on tourism for their livelihood.
Before Black Tuesday, Kashmir was bursting at the seams with tourists. Data accessed by The Kashmir Monitor reveals that 5,25,272 tourists visited the valley in just the first three months of 2025. This includes 5,14,845 domestic and 10,427 foreign tourists. Asia’s largest Tulip Garden in Srinagar hosted 8.55 lakh visitors from March 26 to April 24.
Last year, 34.55 lakh visited the Kashmir region, up from 6.64 lakh in 2021 and 12.11 lakh in 2016. Gulmarg Gondola, a key attraction, saw over 7.68 lakh footfalls in 2024, generating Rs 103 crore in revenue.