For hotel workers, cooks, drivers and shopkeepers, the first signs of recovery began in mid-December after months of uncertainty.
Months after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack forced hotels, guesthouses and eateries across Kashmir to close, a gradual return of tourists is providing a lifeline to thousands of workers who lost their jobs and income.
After months of uncertainty, tourism in Pahalgam has finally shown signs of life. We had no work for eight months, said a former hotel waiter. Now bookings are coming in, and my manager told me I will be recalled next week. It feels like a small miracle. Many laid-off hotel workers from housekeeping staff to guides are now being re-engaged for peak winter weekends and the upcoming spring season.
The downturn hit the local economy hard, pushing small business owners and workers into debt and contributing to a rise in non-performing tourism loans at banks.
Some business owners were forced into distress sales of hotels, shops and guest houses to cover mounting bills. Families dependent on tourism felt the harshest impact, said a Pahalgam hotel manager, noting that peace has traditionally driven tourism, jobs and income, while violence uproots livelihoods.
Tariq Ahmad Khan, President of the Travel Agents Association of North Kashmir, explained that closures ripple through the sector: when hotels shut, drivers, guides and restaurant staff suffer first. With many families under financial strain and loans turning sour, the budding revival of tourism is now gradually helping restore livelihoods.