Jammu and Kashmir government is hosting the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India convention to revive tourism. More than 250 delegates, including some celebrities, are participating in the convention. It is yet another effort to offset the negative perception post-Pahalgam attack and woo back tourists. Kashmir tourism has received a severe blow after the Pahalgam attack. Before April 22, 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. However, everything came crashing down on April 22 when terrorists unleashed a bloodbath in Pahalgam. For the last eight months, the number of tourists visiting Kashmir has reduced to a trickle. What added a final nail to the coffin was the IndiGo crisis. More than 90 percent of hotel bookings have been cancelled in the last few days. 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. Now, the J&K government pins hope on the ATOAI convention. Undoubtedly, the successful event would send a positive message and put Kashmir on the national and global adventure tourism map. But this is not enough. Kashmir tourism needs out-of-the-box initiatives that will strike a chord with the visitors. Mere conferences or media talks would not make a difference. We have seen so many initiatives after the Pahalgam attack, yet none have been able to make a difference on the ground. The Jammu and Kashmir government has added many features to the tourism sector to make an impact. It needs a vigorous publicity blitzkrieg on the ground to set the tone. Kashmir tourism needs both a godfather and a true salesman. Unless we instill confidence among the tourists, we will not be able to restore the pre-April 22 position. The Centre has a big role to play. We have lost summer as well as autumn tourism. Winter has just started, and it is the right time to help our tourism. The Centre needs to activate all departments to help the tourism sector. Our security-related data speaks for itself. Barring the Pahalgam attack, Kashmir has been the most peaceful this year. This aspect should be highlighted because peace is a prerequisite for tourism to flourish. The Centre and UT government need to hard sell Kashmir to tourists. We have so many positives that need to be underscored while luring tourists.
Tourism convention
