Dal Lake Deserted: Kashmir’s Tourism Industry Collapses After Pahalgam Terror Attack

Dal Lake glistens under the sun, but the shikaras float empty. Kashmir’s tourism industry is in crisis. Following the Pahalgam terror attack and rising tensions between India and Pakistan, visitor footfall in the Valley has plummeted to alarming lows. From Srinagar’s iconic Nishat Garden to the houseboats lining the lake, livelihoods are at stake. Once packed with tourists, these places now echo with silence. Houseboat owners, gardeners, and local contractors speak to India Today, revealing the harsh economic toll on the poorest sections of society. Footfalls have dropped from 11,000 visitors a day to just a few hundred. Industry insiders have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reassure domestic travellers that Kashmir is safe, and ready to welcome them back. This ground report by Mir Fareed captures the desperation—and the hope—of a region that depends on tourism for survival.