Overview
- Tourists streamed into Pahalgam on December 27 for year-end celebrations, with visitors describing security arrangements as reassuring, according to IANS interviews.
- Authorities responded to the April 22 attack with phased reopenings, tighter security and confidence-building promotions after shutdowns and mass cancellations hit the peak season.
- The Pahalgam winter carnival runs through December 31, and the local development authority chief reported hotel occupancy up by roughly 30–35 percent.
- Official data underscores the scale of the downturn, with about 10.47 lakh domestic visitors in 2025 versus 34.98 lakh in 2024, as cited in the Economic Survey Report 2024–25.
- Fresh snowfall across Kashmir has lifted bookings and visitor interest in destinations including Gulmarg, Sonmarg and Pahalgam, with hotels filling gradually and winter packages back on offer.