Everything back to normal in Kashmir: ATOAI

SRINAGAR: Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI), the national representative body of Indian adventure tour operators, on Friday described J&K as a safe and secure tourist destination, calling for the reopening of all spots closed by the Union Territory administration after the Pahalgam terror attack.Addressing a press conference, ATOAI president Ajeet Bajaj said the body had successfully held its 17th annual convention in Srinagar without any issues. “Some of our members also went on trips to Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Gulmarg. Everything is great here, and back to normal. We want to get more tourists back to J&K as early as possible and are keen to see all our areas open to adventure tourism,” Bajaj said, even as he admitted that certain situations weren’t in anyone’s control.“I have been coming to Gulmarg every winter. We all believe J&K is the adventure destination of the country, and we will promote safe and sustainable tourism here,” Bajaj said.On Dec 17, J&K CM Omar Abdullah inaugurated ATOAI’s 17th annual convention here, saying J&K was ideally placed to emerge as a major global destination for adventure tourism. The CM called 2025 a difficult year, stating that it started with the Pahalgam terror attack and ended with the Delhi blast a month ago. He said the region was dealing with circumstances “not of our making”. He praised Kashmir’s tourism industry for its resilience, saying those associated with the sector alone understand how they survive in such uncertainty. “It is a testament to their strength,” he said, adding that govt was doing its best to ensure tourism continued to flourish.Earlier this week, Omar had reiterated his demand for reopening tourist locations, including parts of upper Gulmarg, which were shut after the Pahalgam terror attack. He said the current situation did not justify prolonged closures, and Kashmir had faced far more difficult circumstances in the past. He said even during the tense security environment of the mid-1990s, tourism locations remained open.While the UT administration has reopened several popular tourist areas in a phased manner after the Pahalgam attack, many destinations continue to remain closed.