Kashmir Tourism Yet to Recover a Year After Deadly Pahalgam Attack
Nazakat Ali’s phone rings in the evening. This happens often now. He is a 30-year-old tourist guide in Indian-administered Kashmir. He answers with the same practiced calm every time.
A Guide’s Evening Calls
Yes, it is safe. Yes, he will be there. Yes, they should come. On the other end are people planning holidays. They want to visit the stunning Himalayan region. It is known for its mountains and meadows.“There is a lot of fear,” he says. “We have to convince them that everything is fine.”
One Year After the Attack
A year ago, militants killed 26 people in Pahalgam town. It was one of the deadliest attacks on tourists in Kashmir in decades. The region’s tourism economy has yet to recover.
In the weeks that followed, authorities shut 48 of 87 tourist sites. Visitor numbers fell sharply. Official data shows nearly 3 million visitors in 2024. That fell to under 1.2 million in 2025. Some sites have since reopened. However, Baisaran meadow remains closed. That is where the killings took place.The assault struck at the heart of a fledgling industry. That industry had endured despite years of uncertainty.
