Pahalgam terror attack: Hospitality industry braces for Kashmir travel booking cancellations

Anticipating largescale travel booking cancellations for Jammu and Kashmir in the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, aggregators on Wednesday said they are working with airlines and hotels to offer free date change and cancellation waivers to travellers. Hospitality industry players expect the terror attack to sow fear in the minds of tourists who were keen to visit Jammu and Kashmir, adversely affecting the livelihoods of people in the state who are dependent on tourism.

At least 26 people — mostly tourists — were killed by terrorists on Tuesday at the Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam.

“As per the early observations, flight cancellations jumped 7x, and a drop in future bookings by nearly 40 per cent,” said Manjari Singhal,…