"This year has been difficult": Omar Abdullah cites economic concerns amid declining tourism in J-K

Speaking to ANI, Abdullah stated, "This year has been difficult for us. First, the Pahalgam terror attack and then the India-Pakistan conflict. Then, in the months of July, August, and September, there were heavy losses due to rain and flash floods. The result is that the condition in Jammu and Kashmir is very bad..."

He mentioned that the promotion of the state's tourism is ongoing in India and abroad. "For tourism promotion, one of our teams is in Singapore. Southeast Asia is a very big market for tourism, and we are trying to capitalise on that. We are also promoting tourism in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad," he said.

Meanwhile, popular tourist spots remain deserted due to recent militant attacks and natural calamities like cloudbursts and flash floods.

Local residents, heavily reliant on tourism for their livelihoods, are urging the government to intervene and revive the industry.

Yasir, a local tourism professional, said, "I've been working in tourism [sector] for the last 8-10 years. I've never seen such conditions in the last eight years. In the past two years, the situation has been dire. You can see the silence here. After the Pahalgam attack, there were absolutely zero tourists for two and a half months. Then, after the summer season arrived, 30 per cent of our tourists came here. However, after that, many people suffered losses due to cloudbursts and flash floods in Kishtwar. No one wants to come here anymore."

Another local added, "The recent flash floods have caused significant damage to the tourism sector. Previously, lakhs of tourists visited the area, but today, it's completely deserted. The local youth used to support themselves through the tourism sector, but now, they are jobless. I request that the tourism sector be revived as soon as possible." (ANI)