Pahalgam terror attack cost J&K tourism hundreds of crores in revenue, says MLA Tanvir Sadiq at Kerala Urban Conclave

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) suffered tourism revenue losses running into hundreds of crores in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, from which it is trying its best to recover, Tanvir Sadiq, MLA and chief spokesperson and communication in-charge of the ruling Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, has said.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the two-day Kerala Urban Conclave that got under way in Kochi on Friday (September 12, 2025), Mr. Sadiq said the attack was followed by major cancellations, forcing stakeholders to drop prices substantially. “Imagine a hotel in Gulmarg, which charged about ₹70,000 per night, had to give it for ₹20,000 after the attack,” he said.

He said the immediate restoration of statehood is key “not just to win back the confidence of tourists but also to ensure the holistic development of Jammu and Kashmir.”

“The problem with Kashmir now is the dual power centres as a Union Territory. The Lieutenant Governor (LG) looks after the Home department, and the Chief Minister is in charge of the rest. A State such as Kashmir cannot afford to have dual policies. That’s why we have been asking the Prime Minister and the Home Minister of the country to restore statehood and approached the Supreme Court,” he said.

“With nearly a year having passed since the election of the popular government, it is imperative that statehood be restored immediately. First, we should be put in charge of everything, including the Home department, and second, we should be able to take major decisions on our own,” said Mr. Sadiq.

“The Supreme Court had said the statehood should be restored. Now, the hearing on the case is set for October 8. We expected this Parliament to restore statehood, but it didn’t. The voter turnout in the election was the biggest in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, and to respect the mandate of the people, the immediate restoration of statehood is imperative,” he said.

Sense of security among visitors

Asked what has been done to restore the sense of security among visitors to Kashmir in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, Mr. Sadiq cited how the local populace came out, condemned the attack, and “opened the doors of their houses” to welcome the visitors. “So, the sense of security comes from the people, and people want tourism to return,” he said.

“Since then, the Chief Minister himself has taken the initiative to change the narrative. The Amarnath Yatra was successfully conducted. The Chief Minister himself visited various parts of the country to ensure that tourism is restored. Clearly, it has improved a little bit, but because of the major cancellations, it will be tough to recover fully,” he said.