Rising tensions between India and Pakistan have dealt a major blow to the tourism industry. A large number of international trips to Europe, the USA, and Turkey are being cancelled.
Within the country, after Kashmir, many travellers are now backing out of planned visits to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand as well.
Summer season dreams shattered
This year’s summer vacation season has taken a serious knock, causing huge financial losses for the tourism sector. Sources from the Tour Operator and Travel Agents Association of Gujarat (TAG) report that the terrorist attack in Kashmir first sparked a wave of cancellations.
The situation has worsened with the current war-like conditions. People are now cancelling bookings for both foreign and domestic destinations.
“This year, the entire tourism season has been almost wiped out,” said Munjal Fitar, President, TAG. “First, the terrorist attack in Kashmir and now the war between India and Pakistan have affected the tourism industry.”
Long-haul destinations bear the brunt
International travel has been hit particularly hard in recent days. “Due to the war situation, tourists have started cancelling international long-destination tours,” Fitar explained.
“Since Wednesday, tours to European countries, the USA, Turkey and Australia have been cancelled in large numbers.”
He added a silver lining: “Tours to Dubai, Singapore, Bali, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Thailand and Vietnam, which are three hours away from India, haven’t been affected. It’s a relief that there have been no cancellations yet. However, inquiries for all tours have dried up.”
100% cancellations for Himalayan getaways
The domestic sector faces an unprecedented crisis. “In the domestic sector, 100 percent of tours to Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Kashmir, scheduled from May 15 to 20, have been cancelled,” the president noted.
“This year, the tourism industry has lost crores of rupees due to terrorist attacks and war situations. The entire vacation season has been washed away.”
The airline industry is also facing major setbacks due to the ongoing border conflict. Civil aviation operations have been temporarily suspended at several airports nationwide, including some in Gujarat. According to industry sources, these disruptions have caused significant financial losses for the aviation sector.