At a taxi stand in Pahalgam, hundreds of vehicles remain parked, their drivers waiting for customers who rarely show up.
They spend their days languidly, watching videos on their smartphones to while away the time.
A short walk away, the ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) yard wears a deserted look with all 14 machines now absent from the yard. The hotels and popular food joints, once buzzing with customers, are also deserted.
It has been a month since terrorists attacked Baisaran meadows, killing 25 tourists and a local pony operator.
The incident has had a crippling effect on tourism, leading to a steep decline in tourist arrivals and widespread fear among travellers. The subsequent military action by India against Pakistan further deterred tourists from visiting the Valley.
“There has been hardly any improvement in the situation even a month after the deadly attack. Only a few tourists come here, and they leave the same day without staying for a night or two,” said Gulzar Ahmad, president of the local taxi stands.
He said that the terror attack has rendered around 600 cab drivers jobless in the area.
A few tourists who visit the area are unableto go sightseeing as popular destinations like Betab Valley, Aru Valley and Baisaran meadows have been declared off-limits to visitors.
In addition to these sightseeing places, the authorities have closed down around 48 tourist spots across the Valley in the wake of terror attack.
From boom to bust
Official data from 2024 shows that Jammu and Kashmir experienced a record-breaking tourist influx, with more than 23.5 million visitors travelling to the region. Authorities had anticipated an exceptional tourist season for the current year. A strong indicator of this trend was Srinagar’s Tulip Garden, which drew more than 855,000 tourists before closing for the season on April 24, 2025, reflecting the growing momentum in early tourism activity.
However, the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 sent the region’s booming tourism industry into a tailspin. Even after a month, the hotels continue to witness around 90 percent dip in booking.
A general impact
“The attack has had a devastating impact on all businesses in the Valley,” said Qazi Touseef, spokesperson of the Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA). “It has severely affected overall trade, including fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG).”
Traders across sectors — handicrafts, dry fruits, and saffron — have been witnessing a significant slump in sales throughout the Valley.
Known for its first-rate saffron, Pampore’s Lethpora market, located along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, has seen a sharp downturn in saffron sales.
“The market, housing around 180 to 200 shops, used over 5,000 grams of saffron daily before the Pahalgam massacre. Now sales have dwindled to a mere fraction of it”, said Ashaq Hussain, a saffron and dry fruit trader from the market.