Bhopal: The recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 27 innocent tourists, has sent shockwaves across Madhya Pradesh, triggering a widespread cancellation of planned summer vacations to the Valley. Popular cities including Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Jabalpur, and Gwalior have reported mass withdrawals of travel bookings to Kashmir, with many residents now considering alternate destinations like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The attack has severely impacted the travel sentiment, with families cancelling not just April bookings but also those made for May and June — traditionally the peak tourist season aligned with school holidays. According to SK Pali, a travel operator based in Bhopal, tourists from Madhya Pradesh usually travel via four-wheelers or tourist vehicles to Delhi or Gwalior and then head to Kashmir. However, since the attack, there have been zero inquiries or bookings to Kashmir.
Vijay Singh from Bhopal, who had planned a trip to Vaishnodevi and Srinagar with his family, shared, “We had everything planned for May when our children’s summer vacation starts. But after this horrifying incident, we have scrapped the Kashmir plan and are now looking at Nainital instead.”
Indore alone saw over 50 tour cancellations within three days, with more than 20 groups opting to reschedule. Pallav Singh Thakur of Primex Travels in Dewas stated, “We had a well-structured 5-night Kashmir tour planned for May, covering Srinagar, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam. That entire tour is now off the table. We have also decided not to promote Kashmir tourism anymore.”
Travel operators across Madhya Pradesh are urging caution. Shubham Jain from Make My Trip in Ujjain noted that several groups, including one of 11 people from his city and another from Delhi, have either cancelled or postponed their Kashmir travel plans. “Now, we are advising our customers to consider Himachal Pradesh instead. The fear is real and justified.”
The travel industry itself is facing the brunt. Yogendra Singh Guddu Chauhan, a travel director in Bhopal, remarked, “This tragic attack will not only affect tourism in Kashmir but will also take a toll on our local travel business. Bookings are drying up fast.”
In Gwalior, Aman Gupta of Godinga Holiday Travels reported that all 70 packages for April and May had been cancelled by Wednesday evening, with bookings for June and July currently on hold as tourists remain uncertain.
The effect of the incident is so intense that even religious tourism is seeing a shift. The usually high turnout for Amarnath Yatra enquiries has drastically fallen. Manoj, who has been organizing Amarnath trips from Ujjain for 24 years, said, “Since the attack, not a single enquiry has come in. People are scared, especially those who had planned to go via Pahalgam.”
The Pahalgam terror attack has not just marred the image of Kashmir as a serene tourist paradise but has also dealt a significant blow to the tourism ecosystem of Madhya Pradesh, forcing people to rethink their summer getaways in the face of growing insecurity.
