Seventeen Tourist Destinations Reopen in Jammu and Kashmir After Pahalgam Attack

February 17, 2026 (Jammu, India) – In a significant step towards restoring tourism activity in the Union Territory of **, authorities on Monday announced the reopening of 17 tourist destinations that had remained shut since the deadly incident in ** last year.

The announcement was made by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor **, nearly ten months after the terror attack on April 22, 2025, which led to the closure of dozens of popular locations across the Valley as a precautionary measure.

A spokesperson from the Lieutenant Governor’s office said the decision was taken after a detailed security review and consultations with the concerned departments.

“After a thorough security review and discussion, the Lieutenant Governor has ordered the reopening of more tourist spots in the Kashmir and Jammu divisions which were temporarily closed as a precautionary measure,” the spokesperson said.

The destinations reopened in the Kashmir Valley include **, **, Dandipora Park, Peer Ki Gali, Dubjan, Padpawan, Astanpora, the **, **, Hung Park and the Wular–Watlab area near **.

Officials also confirmed that three additional sites in the Kashmir division – ** and Athwatoo in **, and ** in ** – along with Ramkund in ** district of the Jammu division will be reopened once snow clearance operations are completed.

In the Jammu division, three tourist destinations have already been cleared for reopening: Devi Pindi, Mahu Mangat and **.

Tourism officials said the prolonged closure of these destinations had severely affected winter tourism and local livelihoods, especially in regions that depend heavily on seasonal travel and hospitality.

In total, 48 tourist destinations were shut following the April 22, 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. Earlier, on June 14, 2025, authorities had already reopened 16 destinations as part of a phased restoration plan.

The latest reopening is expected to provide a major boost to tourism-related businesses, including hotels, transport operators, guides and small vendors, many of whom had reported sharp revenue losses since last year’s shutdowns. Officials added that security deployment and monitoring mechanisms would continue at all reopened locations to ensure safe travel for visitors.

Industry stakeholders believe that the phased reopening of tourist sites, combined with improved security arrangements, could gradually restore traveller confidence and revive winter tourism across the Kashmir and Jammu regions.