Pahalgam terror strike triggers holiday cancellations in Andhra Pradesh

Visakhapatnam/Vijayawada: Following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday, many tourists from Andhra Pradesh who had planned trips to Kashmir are now cancelling their bookings.
According to representatives of Andhra Pradesh Tours and Travels Association, around 100 to 200 people from the state visit Kashmir daily, depending on the season. Now they expect the cancellations to continue for at least a month or two before the traumatic memories of the terror attack begin to fade. One agency in Visakhapatnam has already received cancellation requests for 40 bookings.
The unsettling incident has not only raised fears about personal safety but also created an atmosphere of deep uncertainty among the tourists. While the emotional fallout from the attack will take a considerable time to subside, tour operators are also worried that it may impact Amarnath Yatra bookings in the coming months.
K Vijay Mohan, president of Tours and Travels Association of Andhra, acknowledged that tourists have never been as alarmed as they are now. "Generally, tourists are spared as terrorist attacks are mostly directed at security forces. But this time, seeing terrorists target and kill innocent tourists is expected to leave a lasting impact," he said.
He further informed that he received requests for 10 cancellations on Wednesday morning, and fears that those scheduled to travel next month may also follow suit. "Moreover, because airlines are offering full refunds for bookings made till the end of this month, cancellation requests may increase further. This will affect every tour operator in Andhra Pradesh, especially considering that this is peak season when large numbers of tourists travel for summer holidays," added Mohan.
The fallout from the attack has hit families hard, leaving them to reassess their plans and postpone long-awaited vacations. For example, K Nageswara Rao, a businessman from Vizag who had booked a 10-day tour to Kashmir and a seven-day tour to Leh-Ladakh for next month, has since requested that the agency cancel his tickets. "It might not be wise to continue the trip during these uncertain times. My family has expressed concerns about safety," Rao told TOI.
Chitturi Srinivas, owner of Akbar Travels in Vijayawada, said post-Covid-19, owing to a dip in terrorism, about 3,000 tourists on average have been visiting Jammu and Kashmir from the city ever year. "This attack on tourists will have a 100% impact on bookings to Kashmir. Many of those who have already booked tickets are reconsidering their plans," he said.
Srinivas, who is also the president of AP Travels Association, said Kashmir packages are usually among the top destination packages with huge demand from people. "A 55-member group was scheduled to leave for Kashmir from Vijayawada tomorrow, but now I don't know as all of them are very worried about the prevailing uncertain situation in the valley," he added.
Another tour operator, Dodla Hemant, explained that prior to the terrorist attacks, there was huge demand for Amarnath Yatra bookings, with around 50 people already confirmed. However, he now expects the demand to decline, given the fear that terrorists may target the devotees.