'Visit Kullu's Shangarh instead, it's even more beautiful': Traveller urges shift from Kashmir after Pahalgam

Amid a wave of cancellations to Kashmir following the Pahalgam terror attack, a traveller has suggested Shangarh Meadows in Himachal Pradesh as a safer, equally breathtaking alternative.

Taking to X, Nikhil Saini wrote, "To those cancelling their Kashmir trips after #PahalgamTerrorAttack — if you still want to see breathtaking meadows, places even more beautiful than Kashmir, and most importantly, where you won’t be harmed over your religious identity, visit Shangarh in Kullu #HimachalPradesh."

Shangarh Meadows is located in the Sainj Valley, part of the Great Himalayan National Park region in Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh. Known for its vast, lush green meadows surrounded by deodar forests and mountains, Shangarh is a peaceful and relatively less touristy destination compared to popular spots like Manali or Kasol.

Tourism in Kashmir has taken a fresh hit after terrorists opened fire at the Baisaran meadow, known as Kashmir’s 'mini Switzerland', killing 26 people, including 25 tourists and a ponywalla. The attack, which took place near the popular town of Pahalgam in Anantnag district, is the deadliest in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019. 

The impact on Kashmir's tourism sector has been immediate. According to a survey conducted by LocalCircles, six out of ten travellers who had planned trips to Kashmir between May and December 2025 are now cancelling their bookings.

Domestic airlines have reported the cancellation or rescheduling of approximately 15,000 flight tickets to Srinagar following the attack. Anticipating a surge in booking cancellations, travel aggregators announced measures to offer free date changes and cancellation waivers.

"As per the early observations, flight cancellations jumped 7x, and a drop in future bookings by nearly 40 per cent," said Manjari Singhal, Chief Growth and Business Officer, Cleartrip.

Tour operators across eastern India are particularly concerned. Bilolaksha Das, chairman of the eastern chapter of the Travel Agents Federation of India, said, "Already several bookings have been cancelled. With this incident, we are now looking at a bleak tourist season, which started from February-end and will continue till mid-October, including the Durga Puja vacation."

Anil Punjabi, national committee member of the Travel Agents Federation of India, added, "More than 30 per cent of Kashmir’s tourist inflow is from eastern India, especially West Bengal." He estimated that about 300 tourists per day from West Bengal alone had bookings, most of which are now expected to be either cancelled or indefinitely postponed. "Tour operators are going to incur heavy losses," he said.