Ahmedabad, Apr 23 (PTI) As tourists from Gujarat rushed to cancel their planned Kashmir trips in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, operators in the state on Wednesday said they were ensuring that the tourists get full refunds.

Airlines are being requested to offer free cancellation of tickets for Srinagar till June 30 instead of April 30 as already offered by them, said the Tour Operators and Travel Agents Association of Gujarat.

Kashmir has emerged as among the most favourite domestic destinations for tourists from Gujarat, with around five lakh tourists visiting it in 2024. It had looked like the number will be surpassed in 2025 but Tuesday’s attack changed the situation, said Ajay Modi of Ahmedabad-based Ajay Modi Travels.

There were three Gujarat-origin persons in the 26 persons killed in the attack in Pahalgam.

People are rushing to cancel their planned trips to Kashmir and tour operators are talking to airlines to get them a full refund for cancellations till June 30, said Modi.

“We are letting all those who want to cancel Kashmir tour packages to do so without collecting cancellation charges. We are also allowing them to opt for other destinations, if they wish so, without any hassle,” he added.

“We are making efforts to ensure that tourists do not suffer any financial loss due to the cancellation of airline tickets. Airlines have already offered a waiver till April 30, but we have demanded they extend the concession till June 30,” Modi added.

People have booked tour packages for Kashmir till June 15, he said. “Customers are not likely to visit Jammu and Kashmir any time soon, as they are assessing the situation unfolding there,” he added.

The Association said in a statement that there was an atmosphere of fear, and it was natural that people would not press ahead with a trip to Kashmir under the current circumstances.

The association requests airlines to waive cancellation charges for tickets booked till June 30, it added.

Tour operators have been requested to make arrangements so that the tourists who have paid in advance for hotels and vehicles get a credit note of that amount (to be used in future), it said.

Manish Sharma of Akshar Travels said Kashmir had become the most popular destination for tourists from Gujarat, and packages were booked till June 15.

“As tour operators, we are supporting tourists in every possible way, whether it is for cancellation, extension, or refund,” he said.

“We are also talking to airlines for 100 percent refund. Kashmir was a hot destination, with a majority of domestic tourists from Gujarat headed there. What has happened there is very sad,” he said.

Among those killed in the terror attack on Tuesday were Yatish Parmar (45) and his son Smit (17) from Bhavnagar, and Shailesh Kalathiya, who hailed from Surat but was working with a nationalised bank in Mumbai.

Yatish Parmar ran a hair-cutting salon while his son was a Std 11th student.

Kalathiya was on vacation in Kashmir with his wife, daughter and the son. According to reports, he was to celebrate his 44th birthday on Wednesday. PTI KA PD KRK