Closure of tourist sites casts a long shadow over Kashmir’s winter season

Srinagar, Nov 13: When a horseman from Yousmarg rode his pony to Raj Bhawan in Srinagar on August 23, it was not a spectacle but an act of desperation. The man, a local guide, wanted authorities to see the distress of hundreds of pony wallahs and tourism workers who have been without income since several prominent tourist destinations across Kashmir were shut earlier this year.

The closures followed the April 22 attack at Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam, in which 25 tourists and a local pony operator were killed. The fallout hit tourist-dependent communities across Yousmarg, Doodhpathri, Tosamaidan, Sinthan Top and other destinations. Though Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha reopened 28 sites in two phases, many continue to remain off-limits, leaving entire communities in financial limbo.

For Abdul Hameed, a pony walla from Yousmarg, the prolonged restrictions have meant months without work. “We are now unable to feed our horses, let alone earn for our families,” he said, adding that many pony wallas have been forced into daily-wage jobs or compelled to sell their animals.

Fayaz Ahmad, another horseman, said he had taken up labour work at construction sites to survive. “I sold my horse as I was unable to feed it,” he said, reflecting a widespread crisis among pony operators.

Local tour operators voice similar concerns. A Srinagar-based travel agent said that destinations such as Yousmarg, Doodhpathri and Sinthan Top offered valuable alternatives beyond Gulmarg and Pahalgam. “With these places still shut, tourists have fewer choices, and the economic impact trickles down to guides, hoteliers, cab operators and transporters,” he said.

With higher-altitude regions already witnessing snowfall this season, Sinthan Top—a high pass that saw good snow even during last year’s largely dry winter—could have offered one of the earliest winter attractions in the Valley. “In 2023, Gulmarg and Pahalgam saw very little snow, but Sinthan Top drew huge crowds. This year, its closure has robbed us of that opportunity,” said Javed Ahmad, a cab driver from Anantnag.

An official from Kokernag told Greater Kashmir that Sinthan Top has remained closed to visitors since the Pahalgam incident. He said the site normally attracts a heavy tourist influx during early snowfall.

The continued shutdown has triggered political reactions as well. Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah recently said that efforts to revive tourism in Jammu and Kashmir would succeed only when all destinations are reopened. However, there has yet to be any official indication of when the remaining sites might be thrown open to the public.

With winter tourism already underway and demand rising for snowbound destinations, the absence of these key sites threatens another season of economic loss for thousands who depend on Kashmir’s tourism sector.