“There are many big hotels with zero occupancy. Many hotels asked their staff to stay home till tourists return. It (Pahalgam terror attack) was a gruesome and scary incident. Tourism prospects remain bleak as of now,” Javed Burza, president of the PHOA, told The Hindu.

Pahalgam terror attack: A tribute to the victims

Most hoteliers demanded that the public parks in Pahalgam should be opened to revive tourism. Surrounded by the lofty peaks of Pahalgam valley, the public parks, such as Poshwan Park, Nehru Park, Island Park Pahalgam, Lidder View Park and Aru Park, have remained shut for many days now.

“There has been a government advisory. Parks in Pahalgam remain closed. I think they need to be opened up so that local and domestic tourists return,” Mr. Burza said.  

Many are pinning their hopes on the upcoming Amarnath yatra, which begins from July 3. “We will host the yatra. We are hopeful that the yatra will be followed by a good number of tourists. Hotels are already offering up to 50% rebate in tariffs. We are reaching out to tourists. Things will change,” Mr. Burza said.

The youth who had invested in adventure sports like zorbing and zipline are sitting idle and facing a major financial crisis. “I had to borrow money from the bank to start adventure sports. The past few years saw a significant increase in tourist footfall. We were expecting a good profit this year. My livelihood depends on tourists,” Nazeer Mir, a local resident, said.