Two months after a deadly attack in the Indian-prasaded Kashmir, scared tourists and brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war, the picturesque valley located in the Himalayan mountains has begun to see the first signs of a tourism revival.

Shabana Avwal is making videos of her children as they turn on a water bike to ride on Dal Lake of the most prestigious tourist destination in Srinagar city.

Ms. Awaal has traveled in a group of 15 with her husband and children from western state of Rajasthan – all members of their expanded family.

“I have visited Kashmir several times and want to show all the major attractions such as Gulmarg, Son Marg and Pahgam and all these places to their relatives,” she tells the BBC.

Awwals planned their 10-day visit in March. She says, “The heat in Rajasthan is unbearablely hot, so we plan to escape from Kashmir during the school holiday.”

But ever since he planned the journey, the circumstances have changed a lot. On 22 April, terrorists attacked tourists at a beauty site near Pahalgam city, killing 26 people.

Tourism is the mainstay of the economy of Jammu and Kashmir, which is a region administered by a union, and this unprecedented targeting of tourists send shockwaves through India. Authorities closed 48 tourist places in the valley and two-thirds of them are still closed.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is working hard to reopen these places to attract visitors in the region, says, “The impact of the attack was immediately and very widely felt”.

Abdullah told the BBC, “There was a large migration of tourists who were already here, and those who were proposing to come, the massive cancellation of those who were proposing to come.

“So permanent impact, both have been felt in the deteriorating relationship between the two neighboring countries and our tourist season is going to be for the year, what word I use for it? I think you can call it a disaster.”

Kashmir claimed by both India and Pakistan is a flashpoint for decades. Nuclear-Sastra South Asian neighbors have fought two wars and a limited struggle over Kashmir. For more than a quarter of a century, the region has seen an armed rebellion against Indian rule, but even at its peak, tourists were rarely targeted.

Ms. Awwal said that her family decided to continue with her holiday because “we were really not afraid” and “We thought we would deal with what we would come with us”.

“We are happy that we move forward with our plans. The situation here is normal,” she says and blames “media promotion” for this perception that it is insecure to travel to Kashmir.

Awwals are not alone in their optimism. Deepti and Anuj Gandhi of Jammu, who planned their plan only last week, is not a better summer holiday destination than Kashmir “.

“Children like to ride a water bike and then we will boat in the lake. We come here every year, so why break the tradition now?” She says.

Earlier this week, news agency ANI reported that a group of Polish tourists came to the city.

A few weeks after the Pahalgam attack, the arrival is the cause of optimism for hotelier, taxi drivers, tour guides, shopkeepers and owners of Shakar-narrow colored wooden boats like Venis Gondola that distracts tourists on the lentil lake.

In April, Haji Wali Mohammad Bhat, president of the Shikara Owners Association, says Dal Lake Bulleward was packed with thousands of tourists, had daily traffic jams and many complained that they were finding it difficult to get housing.

“The attack on tourists was unfortunate and tragic,” he says.

He said, “It has influenced all of us and our livelihood. Tourists are our lives, tourism is our lifeline. God knows what sins we are paying for,” he says, with despair.

Ravi Gosain, president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators, who recently led the three-day “Fact-Finding Trip” of the tour operators-as “as” those who send the passengers “say” “For the past few years, tourism was flourishing in Kashmir, many new hotels were built, many new vehicles were built, new vehicles were bought and new shops were purchased”.

Last year, the government said 23.6 million tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir, with a visit to 3.49 million valley.

This year, Mr. Gosain says, peak season is lost in the valley, but tourism can still be lifted.

“Local people are very welcome, hotel businessmen, tour guides and shopkeepers are very sociable and people are coming back. You can see it – all flights are coming completely, tourism is jumping back quickly.

“I think the national feeling is that if the objective of the attack was to derail tourism, it will not be successful. But I hope that no untoward incident happens again,” they say.

According to reports, some credit for the revival of tourism in Kashmir also goes to a new train link, which is associated with Srinagar for the first time with the rest of India.

Two-time trains from Srinagar to Katra station in Jammu region-recently packed headlines for two months and tickets have been packed for two months to pass through the “world’s highest single-Arch Railway Bridge”.

Katra, the initial point for those visiting Vaishno Devi’s popular Hindu pilgrimage site, attracted 9.48 million pilgrims last year.

And many of those who reached there since June 7, when the new air -conditioned train was commissioned, was banned to go to Kashmir.

Among the pilgrims who took advantage of easy connectivity are Ghansham Bhardwaj and his wife Mamta Sharma and his children. Hot sugars were enjoying tea near Dal Lake for the couple in Delhi, coming to Srinagar was “a group of moments of moment”.

“It took us only three hours from Katra. We will spend the night here and take the train back to Katra tomorrow and travel to Delhi.”

“I ask him if he was worried about the visit to the valley immediately after the Pahalgam attack?”

“There is nothing to be afraid of this. This is my country,” they say.

Chief Minister Abdullah says that the pilgrims are choosing to enter the valley, this is a good start.

“Now people who are coming for a few hours, I want to see them for a few days. Who are coming for a few days, I want to see them the confidence of staying for a week.

“But at least it’s a beginning, and that’s help.”

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