Srinagar, May 16 -- "They canceled everything," he said, pointing to a row of empty boats stretching toward the horizon. "Before, I didn't even have time to drink tea between rides. Now, we wait all day for no one."

Just three weeks ago, the season was looking historic. Kashmir had broken tourism records in 2024, with 2.36 crore visitors. It was more than seven times the number from just four years ago.

In April alone, over 8 lakh people visited Srinagar's tulip garden, a number that made local authorities beam with optimism. Hotels were booked solid. Taxis were scarce. Everyone, from airport porters to pony wallahs in Pahalgam, was working overtime.

Then came April 22.

Twenty-five tourists, including a foreign national, were killed i...