Hotels have started hiring employees after massive layoffs post-Pahalgam attack. This follows an increase in the tourist footfall in winter. With snowfall reviving Kashmir’s winter charm, hotels have started reopening and recalling staff. Hotels had suffered huge losses, and they were not in a position to retain the staff for long. Over one lakh staff in the hotel industry lost jobs following the April 22 Pahalgam attack. After a gradual increase in tourist inflow in December, the hotels have recalled staff members. 2026 has started on a high note. Glumarg was fully sold out on New Year’s eve. Thousands of tourists flocked to the ski resort to celebrate the New Year. Pahalgam, which was bruised after the April 22 terror attack, too came alive on the New Year. 2025 was a difficult year. Twenty-six people, most of them tourists, were brutally gunned down in Baisaran Valley on April 22. Before the attack, the valley was bursting at the seams with tourists. Over 5.25 lakh tourists had visited the valley in the first three months of 2025. These include 5,14,845 domestic and 10,427 foreign tourists. A record 2.35 crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir in 2024. Domestic tourist numbers shot up tenfold, from 25.19 lakh in 2020 to 2.35 crore in 2024. Official figures reveal that Kashmir hosted 10.68 lakh tourists in 2025. They include 10.47 lakh domestic and 21,361 foreign tourists. The tourism industry is the mainstay of Kashmir’s economy. It contributes between 7% and 8% to the J&K Gross State Domestic Product. With the total GSDP estimated at Rs 2.65 lakh crore, tourism accounts for Rs 18,500 crore to Rs 21,200 crore. There are more than 5000 registered hotels and homestays in Kashmir alone. The majority of them have had either no booking or less than 10 percent post-Pahalgam attack. This is passe now. All the travel agencies have started functioning again. They have started retaining the staff. Similarly, the cab drivers have resumed their operations after more than eight months. January has been good so far. February and March, too, are expected to witness enhanced tourist flow as snowfall is predicted in the coming weeks. Now, the government has a bigger role to play. They need to push their boundaries to woo tourists back to the valley. Autumn and summer are coming. We need to create a feel-good factor and instill confidence among tourists so that they return to Kashmir. We cannot afford another blank year. We need tourists to sustain our economy. Tourism stakeholders,s too, have a responsibility to ensure our guests feel at home. They too should lower their rates and announce mouthwatering packages so that tourists are compelled to visit the paradise.
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