Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have announced plans to reopen 16 tourist destinations across the region, more than seven weeks after they were shut following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, some 92 kms south of Srinagar. 

The move is aimed at reviving tourism, an economic lifeline for people of Jammu and Kashmir, ahead of the annual Amarnath pilgrimage.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Saturday that the reopening follows a meeting with civil and police officials and marks the first step in restoring tourist activity in the region. “Tourist activities are resuming in the region,” Sinha told reporters in Pahalgam. “The Union government is actively facilitating official tours and parliamentary delegations, which will help build public confidence and give tourism a push,” he added. 

The sites reopened in Kashmir include Betab Valley in Pahalgam, the Kokernag-Achabal gardens in Anantnag, and Srinagar’s Badamwari, Duck Park, and Taqdeer Park. In Jammu division, destinations in Kathua, Reasi, Doda, and Udhampur districts will also spring to life. These include Sarthal and Dhaggar in Kathua, Devipindi, Siyad Baba, and Sula Park in Reasi, Guldanda and Jai Valley in Doda, and Pancheri in Udhampur.

The government had closed 48 sites to tourists after a terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. The decision to reopen them followed a flurry of meetings involving civil and police officials. The reopening will begin in phases from June 17, Sinha said. On May 27, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds the tourism portfolio, said the government would reopen all closed sites after a review.

A day earlier, a delegation from the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) met Abdullah and urged the reopening of the destinations.

“We welcome the decision whole heartedly and are looking forward to the opening of the remaining sites,” Qazi Touseef, spokesperson for the Kashmir Economic Alliance, told businessline.  “We also appeal to Shri Amarnath Yatra pilgrims to come in large numbers. The business community and civil society will ensure a peaceful and safe pilgrimage”.

The annual Amarnath pilgrimage will begin June 3 and conclude on August 9. 

Manish Kotwal, a hotelier from Guldanda in Jammu’s Bhaderwah region — one of the destinations that was shut — said the Pahalgam attack brought tourism to a halt, with hoteliers witnessing nearly 100 percent cancellations. “The decision to reopen tourist destinations will help revive business and bring back visitors,” he said.

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Published on June 15, 2025