Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): After the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday afternoon, fear and uncertainty have gripped tourists across the country — prompting many to cancel their upcoming trips to Kashmir.
Tour operators in Bhopal say they have been receiving cancellation requests since Tuesday evening, and expect more travellers to call off their plans in the coming days.
Shubham Kothari, a city-based tour operator, told Free Press that a four-member family from Shujalpur cancelled their planned visit to Srinagar and Pahalgam, scheduled for May 2. “I informed them about the incident on Tuesday evening. Shortly after, they asked me to cancel the trip and I refunded the entire amount,” Kothari said.
He said that he is expecting cancellations from two more clients from Vidisha who had booked Kashmir tour for June. “Every summer, I handle around 25 Kashmir bookings from Bhopal, Sehore, Vidisha, Narmadapuram and surrounding areas. This year, that number is likely to fall sharply,” he said.
Another travel agent, Kunal Singhal, confirmed cancellations from three couples who had booked trips to Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Srinagar for April 26. “They called me Tuesday night, right after the news broke, and asked for immediate cancellation. I’ve already processed their refunds,” he said.
Singhal usually books around 15 Kashmir tours between March and June each year. “This time, we had seven bookings. Three families completed their trips before the incident.
Of the remaining four, three have now cancelled their trip. One ticket booked from Hyderabad for June is still active, but I believe it will also be cancelled soon,” he said.
Saurabh Kumar, a senior manager at Max Life Insurance, had planned a May 4 family trip to Jammu and Kashmir, beginning with Vaishno Devi, followed by Kashmir Valley.
“After Pahalgam attack, my family had become apprehensive, but this recent incident has solidified their decision to avoid Kashmir altogether. Now we would rather visit Pachmarhi. Safety comes first — ‘Jaan hai to Jahan hai’,” Kumar said
