“HEARTBREAKING”
Until Tuesday afternoon, Hotel Mount View in Pahalgam was sold out for months, manager Abdul Salam told AFP.
But since news of the killings broke, he has been inundated with people scrapping their travel plans.
“This tragedy will paralyse business in Kashmir,” he said. “We are trying hard to reassure our customers who may still want to come.”
Indian authorities have heavily promoted the mountainous region known for its lush valleys as a holiday destination, both for skiing during the winter months and to escape the sweltering heat elsewhere in India during the summer.
A string of resorts is being developed, including some close to the heavily militarised de facto border that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
India regularly blames Pakistan for backing gunmen behind the insurgency.
Islamabad denies the allegation, saying it only supports Kashmir’s struggle for self-determination.
“It’s heartbreaking to see the exodus of our guests from the valley after yesterday’s tragic terror attack in Pahalgam, but at the same time, we totally understand why people would want to leave,” Abdullah said in a statement.
India’s Director General of Civil Aviation Faiz Ahmed Kidwai issued a letter which called on airlines to “take swift action to increase the number of flights … facilitating the evacuation of tourists”.
Air India said on Wednesday it had laid on extra flights “in view of the prevailing situation”.
Tourist Paras Sawla, from India’s financial hub Mumbai, said many visitors were “fearful” after the attack.
He was seeking to get the first flight home that he could.
But the saddest part, he said, was that ordinary Kashmiri people, famous for their hospitality, were doing all they could to help.
“We are not scared of the public here,” Sawla said. “They are very supportive, helping out with whatever we need.”
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