Srinagar, May 15 – Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Thursday assured that the government is fully committed to revitalizing tourism in Kashmir, which has seen a decline in visitor numbers following last month’s terror attack in Pahalgam.
During his visit to Srinagar, Naidu inspected operations at the city’s airport, which recently resumed services after a brief halt due to hostilities between India and Pakistan. Later, he visited Polo View market in central Srinagar to engage with local residents.
“People are concerned about the negative impact on tourism,” the minister told reporters. “There has been a drop in visitors after the attack, and we must take steps to restore the sector.”
Naidu highlighted that Kashmir had seen a tourism boom over the past five years, with passenger traffic at Srinagar airport rising from 25 lakh in 2019 to around 45 lakh in 2024. He emphasized that the government would work to bring tourism back to pre-attack levels and further boost it.
He also pledged support from the Civil Aviation Ministry to aid recovery efforts, noting that the government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, has advanced development in the region.
The minister added that connectivity between Srinagar and other parts of the country has now been fully restored following its temporary disruption during Operation Sindoor.
“We want normalcy to return. I visited Srinagar airport to ensure smooth functioning and thank the staff for their dedication. The courage displayed during these challenging times is commendable,” he said, also praising the armed forces for their decisive response during recent tensions.
