Officials and locals said some tourists have returned to Pahalgam, but the numbers remain low [NurPhoto via Getty Images]
Nazakat Ali’s phone rang at night, just as it does now.
The 30-year-old tour guide in Indian-administered Kashmir responded with the same calmness every time—yes, it’s safe; yes, it’s safe here. Yes, he will be there; yes, they should come. At the other end of the spectrum are those planning a vacation to the stunning Himalayan region, famous for its mountains and meadows.
“There’s a lot of fear,” he said. “We have to convince them that everything is fine.”
A year after militants killed 26 people in the town of Pahalgam – one of Kashmir’s worst attacks on tourists in decades – the region’s tourism economy has yet to recover.
In the following weeks, authorities closed 48 of the region’s 87 tourist attractions. According to official figures, tourist numbers have dropped significantly, from nearly 3 million in 2024 to less than 1.2 million in 2025. Some locations have reopened, but the Baisaran grassland where the killings occurred remains closed.
The attack struck at the heart of a nascent industry that has persisted despite years of uncertainty.
Security operations tightened after attack, dealing blow to Pahalgam’s tourism industry [AFP via Getty Images]
Violence in Kashmir has claimed thousands of lives over the past few decades. India and Pakistan both claim all of Kashmir but each administers parts of it.
The attack in Pahalgam heightened tensions, triggering four days of military clashes between the neighbors, with Delhi accusing a Pakistani group of carrying out the killings, a charge Islamabad denies. A ceasefire was declared four days later.
While tourist numbers have begun to recover in other parts of Indian-administered Kashmir, Pahalgam, once one of the busiest tourist destinations, has struggled to attract tourists back. The town received about 259,000 tourists from January to mid-April this year, down from more than 469,000 in the same period before the attacks.
The economic downturn has hit local businesses hard. Just four months before the attack, 25-year-old Mohammad Abubakar invested 2 million rupees ($21,254; £15,762) to open a hotel.
“But after April, we barely made anything,” he said, adding that he had to close the company.
The impact is not just quantitative.
The killings sparked protests and condemnation across the region, and security operations were stepped up days later. Nearly 3,000 young people were detained for questioning, and in some areas authorities demolished the homes of suspected militants, extending the consequences of the attacks into everyday life.
While officials say the security situation has stabilized, uncertainty remains for those who rely on tourism – raising questions about when or if tourists will return.
“We have gone through difficult times before,” said Abdul Waheed Bhat, president of the Pahalgam Pony Riders Association.
“But this attack is different. It sends a very negative message.”
Over the years, the conflict in Kashmir has formed a grim cycle: phases of protests, security crackdowns and militant violence erupt and subside, followed by periods when daily life gradually returns to normal.
The tourism industry has also found a place in this unstable model. Even during the turbulent years, places like Pahalgam, known for its pine forests and alpine meadows, remained largely immune to direct violence.
The attacks last April shattered that.
Locals say targeting tourists in one of Kashmir’s busiest centers upsets a delicate balance that pits livelihoods against instability.
Abdul Waheed Bhat, president of the Pahalgam Pony Riders Association, said the attack sent a “very negative message” [BBC]
This transformation can now be seen everywhere in everyday life.
In Pahalgam, morning still comes the same way – with pale sunlight shining on the pine slopes and the river flowing smoothly through the valley.
But now the rhythm has changed.
Tour guides gather on the side of the road, waiting for jobs that may or may not come. In the afternoon, small groups of tourists walked by slowly, taking photos quickly, as if they were aware of the time. At night, the town is deserted, with few people choosing to spend the night.
Hotels that were once operating at full capacity are now largely empty, with up to 80% of rooms unoccupied.
Mushtaq Ahmad Magrey, head of the Pahalgam Hotel Association, said: “Last year I aimed to earn around Rs 20 million, but I ended up earning only Rs 15 lakh.”
About three miles from the meadow a monument now stands. People approach it slowly. Some left flowers. Others lingered only a moment, reading the victims’ names, then stepped back, as if unsure how long to stay.
The site of the attack – a meadow – remains closed and a memorial has been built nearby [BBC]
For Nazakat Ali, this hesitation has become part of the job.
Every phone call carries an unspoken calculation – how much to comfort and how firmly to speak.
“The landscape hasn’t changed at all, but the place doesn’t feel quite the same,” he said.
The attack also undercuts broader efforts by the federal government to show Kashmir is stable and open to tourism.
In recent years, authorities have pointed to increased visitor numbers, the construction of new infrastructure and high-profile events as signs of a return to normalcy, especially after the region’s semi-autonomous status was revoked in 2019, a move that was accompanied by a security lockdown, communications blackouts and a sharp, albeit temporary, drop in visitor numbers.
Officials now point to early signs of recovery, saying the broader security situation remains relatively stable and violence is at one of its lowest levels in decades.
Kashmir Director of Tourism Syed Kamal Sajjad declined to divulge figures for the claim but said tourists were still visiting the region, including Pahalgam, which showed “confidence is gradually returning”.
“We are hopeful,” he said, adding that outreach efforts were being stepped up across India.
After the attack, many houses belonging to suspected militants were demolished in Kashmir [AFP via Getty Images]
Some tourists returned cautiously. Kiran Rao, visiting with his family from Kerala, said security concerns did not deter them from coming.
“We had some concerns before booking,” he said. “But it feels good to be here.”
However, for many in Kashmir, last year was a difficult one to get over.
Horse rider Rayees Ahmad Bhat was one of the first people to reach the meadow after the shooting.
A year later, the memory still haunts him.
“I saw bodies everywhere,” he said. “People are crying for help.”
Over the next few months, he sought treatment.
And Syed Haider Shah, whose son Adil, a pony rider and the family’s sole breadwinner, was killed while trying to protect tourists and guide them away from his attackers.
“We miss him every day,” Shah said. “But we’re proud of him.”
Adil Shah’s brother looks at his photo – says he misses him every day [Getty Images]
Elsewhere, the consequences are different.
In Pulwama district, Abdul Rashid said his family had spent the past year in makeshift shelters after their house was demolished days after the attack as part of a wider crackdown.
His son joined a militant group and was killed last year.
Authorities say such demolitions are meant to deter militants, but critics call it collective punishment.
For Rashid, this meant enduring the harsh winter of homelessness.
“The temperatures dropped below zero,” he said. “If someone commits a crime, why should the family suffer?”
Back in Pahalgam, Nazakat Ali was still answering the phone, repeating the same assurances to his visitors.
“This place feels like it’s cursed now,” he said.
Then the next call came and he started again.
