Major blow to Valley tourism; hotel bookings vanish, staff sent on leave

The Kashmir Valley’s tourism sector is facing a significant setback following last month’s terror attack in Pahalgam and escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. Tourism associations in the valley report massive cancellations for May, typically a peak tourism month, with hotel bookings vanishing.

Gowhar Maqbool, president of the Kashmir Hotels And Restaurants Owners Association, described the situation as “very tough”.

“The occupancy in Srinagar hotels is almost minuscule. As a trade, we are almost finished. There is very little occupancy right now in Srinagar hotels,” said Maqbool, whose association includes 1,200 hotels and restaurants.

He added that there is little that can be done, and everyone hopes the situation…