Kashmir witnessed a decline in tourist arrivals in 2025, with around 11.16 lakh visitors travelling to the Valley during the year, according to an official data.
The figures show that 11,16,043 tourists visited Kashmir in 2025. Of these, 10,93,050 were domestic tourists, while 22,993 were foreign visitors.
The fall in tourist arrivals has largely been attributed to the impact of a terror attack in Pahalgam in April 2025, which affected travel sentiment and led to cancellations during the peak tourism season.
Tourist inflow had been steadily increasing in the previous years. In 2021, Kashmir received 6,65,777 tourists, including 6,64,163 domestic travellers and 1,614 foreign tourists.
The sector rebounded strongly in 2022 when 26,73,442 tourists visited the Valley, comprising 26,53,495 domestic visitors and 19,947 foreigners.
The upward trend continued in 2023 with 31,55,835 arrivals, including 31,18,157 domestic tourists and 37,678 foreign visitors.
Tourism peaked in 2024 when Kashmir recorded 34,98,702 visitors, of whom 34,55,048 were domestic travellers and 43,654 were foreign tourists.
However, the sharp fall in 2025 reflected the impact of security concerns and disruptions following the attack in Pahalgam.
Tourism remains a key pillar of the economy in Jammu and Kashmir. According to the Economic Survey 2025–26, the sector contributes nearly 7 percent to the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and supports the livelihood of around five lakh people directly and indirectly through hospitality, transport, handicrafts and adventure tourism.
According to the Economic Survey, Jammu and Kashmir recorded a record 2.36 crore tourist visits in 2024, compared with 1.88 crore in 2022. Despite challenges such as security incidents and natural calamities, the Union Territory still recorded 1.78 crore tourist visits in 2025, reflecting the sector’s resilience.
