Nazakat Ali's phone rings in the evening, as it often does now. The 30-year-old tourist guide in Indian-administered Kashmir answers with the same practised calm every time - yes, it is safe; yes, he will be there; yes, they should come. On the other end are people planning holidays to the stunning Himalayan region, known for its mountains and meadows. There is a lot of fear, he says. We have to convince them that everything is fine.
A year after militants killed 26 people in Pahalgam town - one of the deadliest attacks on tourists in Kashmir in decades - the region's tourism economy has yet to recover. In the weeks that followed, authorities shut 48 of 87 tourist sites in the region. Visitor numbers fell sharply, from nearly three million in 2024 to under 1.2 million in 2025, according to official data. Some sites have since reopened, but Baisaran meadow - where the killings took place - remains closed.
The assault struck at the heart of a fledgling industry that has endured despite years of uncertainty. Violence in Kashmir, claimed in full by both India and Pakistan but administered in parts by each, has claimed thousands of lives in the past few decades. The attack in Pahalgam added to the strain, triggering four days of military conflict between the neighbouring countries, with Delhi accusing a Pakistan-based group of carrying out the killings - a charge Islamabad denied.
While tourist numbers have since begun to recover elsewhere in Indian-administered Kashmir, Pahalgam - once among the busiest destinations - has struggled to draw visitors back. The town recorded about 259,000 visitors between January and mid-April this year, down from more than 469,000 in the same period before the attack.
The decline has hit local businesses hard. Just four months before the attack, Mohammad Abubakar, 25, invested two million rupees ($21,254; £15,762) to open a hotel. But after April, we earned almost nothing, he said, adding that he had to shut down the business.
In the days after the killings - which prompted protests and condemnation across the region - security operations intensified. Nearly 3,000 young men were detained for questioning, and in some areas authorities demolished the homes of suspected militants, extending the consequences of the attack into everyday life. Officials say the security situation has since stabilized, but for those who depend on tourism, uncertainty lingers.
We've seen difficult times before, said Abdul Waheed Bhat, head of the pony riders' association in Pahalgam. But this attack is different. This has sent a very negative message.
Each call Ali receives carries an unspoken calculation - how much to reassure, how firmly to say it. Nothing in the landscape has changed, and yet the place does not feel entirely the same, he shared.
Kiran Rao, visiting with his family from Kerala, expressed that security concerns had not stopped them from coming. There were worries before we booked, he said. But it feels good to be here.
The past year remains a haunting memory for many locals. Rayees Ahmad Bhat, a horse rider and eyewitness to the tragedy, continues to seek therapy for the horror he experienced. Others like Syed Haider Shah, who lost his son during the attack, struggle daily with grief but maintain a sense of pride in their loved ones' bravery.
Authorities emphasize ongoing recovery efforts, stating that confidence is gradually returning. Yet, in Pahalgam, the shadow of last April's tragedy still looms large, with each phone call reminding Nazakat Ali of the trust he must help rebuild.
A year after militants killed 26 people in Pahalgam town - one of the deadliest attacks on tourists in Kashmir in decades - the region's tourism economy has yet to recover. In the weeks that followed, authorities shut 48 of 87 tourist sites in the region. Visitor numbers fell sharply, from nearly three million in 2024 to under 1.2 million in 2025, according to official data. Some sites have since reopened, but Baisaran meadow - where the killings took place - remains closed.
The assault struck at the heart of a fledgling industry that has endured despite years of uncertainty. Violence in Kashmir, claimed in full by both India and Pakistan but administered in parts by each, has claimed thousands of lives in the past few decades. The attack in Pahalgam added to the strain, triggering four days of military conflict between the neighbouring countries, with Delhi accusing a Pakistan-based group of carrying out the killings - a charge Islamabad denied.
While tourist numbers have since begun to recover elsewhere in Indian-administered Kashmir, Pahalgam - once among the busiest destinations - has struggled to draw visitors back. The town recorded about 259,000 visitors between January and mid-April this year, down from more than 469,000 in the same period before the attack.
The decline has hit local businesses hard. Just four months before the attack, Mohammad Abubakar, 25, invested two million rupees ($21,254; £15,762) to open a hotel. But after April, we earned almost nothing, he said, adding that he had to shut down the business.
In the days after the killings - which prompted protests and condemnation across the region - security operations intensified. Nearly 3,000 young men were detained for questioning, and in some areas authorities demolished the homes of suspected militants, extending the consequences of the attack into everyday life. Officials say the security situation has since stabilized, but for those who depend on tourism, uncertainty lingers.
We've seen difficult times before, said Abdul Waheed Bhat, head of the pony riders' association in Pahalgam. But this attack is different. This has sent a very negative message.
Each call Ali receives carries an unspoken calculation - how much to reassure, how firmly to say it. Nothing in the landscape has changed, and yet the place does not feel entirely the same, he shared.
Kiran Rao, visiting with his family from Kerala, expressed that security concerns had not stopped them from coming. There were worries before we booked, he said. But it feels good to be here.
The past year remains a haunting memory for many locals. Rayees Ahmad Bhat, a horse rider and eyewitness to the tragedy, continues to seek therapy for the horror he experienced. Others like Syed Haider Shah, who lost his son during the attack, struggle daily with grief but maintain a sense of pride in their loved ones' bravery.
Authorities emphasize ongoing recovery efforts, stating that confidence is gradually returning. Yet, in Pahalgam, the shadow of last April's tragedy still looms large, with each phone call reminding Nazakat Ali of the trust he must help rebuild.
