SRINAGAR: The houseboats on Srinagar’s serene lakes sit quietly under a vast, blue sky—empty, silent, and still. Just a few weeks ago, they echoed with laughter, clinking cups of kahwa, and the warm hum of tourists taking in Kashmir’s breathtaking beauty. Today, that hum has faded into an uneasy silence, as the region once again finds itself caught in the shadow of rising tensions between India and Pakistan.
Hotels and houseboats across Indian-administered Kashmir, usually bustling in the summer peak, are now offering discounts as high as 70%. But even slashed prices aren’t enough to draw people back after a deadly attack on tourists shook the valley, sending a wave of fear through potential visitors. On the other side of the Line of Control, in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, popular destinations like Neelum Valley have been sealed off as whispers of war grow louder.
For the people of Kashmir—who have already endured decades of unrest—tourism is more than just a business. It’s survival, pride, and a rare window of normalcy. Last year, over 3 million visitors flocked to the Indian side and 1.5 million to the Pakistani side, marking a rare moment of shared celebration in a divided land.
Yaseen Tuman, a veteran in the travel business and the owner of historic houseboats in Srinagar, says his heart sinks every time he sees an empty deck.
“We were full. We had guests from across the country. And now… nothing,” he says, seated in the stillness of one of his houseboats. Despite the slump, he refuses to drop prices. “There’s no point. The tourists are gone, not because of cost, but because of fear.”
Fear that’s now affecting livelihoods across the region.
In Pakistan’s Pir Chinasi, a family of five from Islamabad braves the trip. “It’s safe here,” says Syed Yasir Ali, standing with his sons. But for local shopkeepers like Musaddiq Hussain, hope is harder to hold on to. “Business is dead,” he sighs. “We need peace—not just for politics, but for our daily bread.”
In Srinagar, taxi driver Tanveer sums it up simply: “Before the attack, I had no time to rest. Now, I wait the whole day for a single passenger.”
In Kashmir, peace is more than a political ideal—it is the difference between empty streets and thriving livelihoods, between fear and the freedom to dream. And for now, those dreams are on hold.
