India’s Jammu Sees Sharp Tourism Decline As Security Threats, Railway Diversions, And Neglect Push Budget Hotels Toward Collapse

Published on June 11, 2025

Jammu’s tourism sector faces a severe downturn as visitor numbers plummet, leaving budget hotels, local businesses, and livelihoods at risk across the region.

Jammu’s tourism economy is confronting one of its most challenging periods in recent years, with a drastic decline in visitor numbers sending shockwaves through the region. The sharp drop in both pilgrim and leisure travel, particularly to iconic destinations such as the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, has put the spotlight on a growing crisis that threatens the survival of many local businesses.

Stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality sectors have voiced deep concern over the ongoing slump. A combination of security fears, geopolitical instability, and evolving travel patterns has severely impacted footfall across Jammu. The aftershocks of a recent terror incident near Pahalgam, coupled with persistent tensions along the India-Pakistan border, have contributed to a growing perception of risk among potential visitors. As a result, advance bookings have plummeted, and last-minute travel has become increasingly rare.

This sharp downturn has hit budget accommodations the hardest. Once a thriving segment catering to pilgrims and budget-conscious travelers, small hotels and lodges across Jammu are now struggling with near-zero occupancy rates. One of the underlying causes is the shift in transport accessibility—improved railway connectivity extending beyond Jammu to Katra and into Kashmir has redirected large volumes of tourist traffic, bypassing traditional stopovers in Jammu city.

The consequences are being felt well beyond the hotel industry. Thousands of jobs connected to Jammu’s wider tourism network are now at serious risk, with many families facing uncertainty amid the sector’s ongoing decline.. Small food establishments, tour operators, travel agents, local transport providers, and vendors of regional handicrafts, dry fruits, and traditional garments are all facing declining revenues and uncertain futures.Jammu’s local economy, long supported by steady tourist inflows, is now facing severe instability as the continued drop in tourism threatens its core industries.

Despite large-scale tourism promotion efforts at the national and regional levels, frustration is mounting over the uneven allocation of resources and marketing focus. Stakeholders argue that Jammu, with its own distinct identity and vast potential as a pilgrimage and heritage destination, continues to be overshadowed by the Kashmir Valley in terms of visibility and investment. This imbalance, they say, has prevented Jammu from realizing its full potential as a year-round attraction.

To address the crisis, industry voices are calling for Jammu to be recognized as a standalone tourism circuit, independent of the Kashmir itinerary. Proposals have been put forward to accelerate the development of key tourism infrastructure projects that have long remained stalled. Among them are the completion of the artificial lake project in Jammu city, the restoration and adaptive reuse of the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex, and the beautification of the Tawi River Front, modeled on successful waterfront revitalization projects elsewhere in India.

Other measures proposed to boost local tourism include the revival of the Peer Kho-Mahamaya cable car service, which had previously been suspended, and the development of the Jambu Zoo in Nagrota with a more diverse range of animal species to increase its attractiveness to families and wildlife enthusiasts.

Beyond infrastructure, stakeholders are pressing for an aggressive marketing push. This would involve launching dedicated promotional campaigns and organizing roadshows across key cities in India to reposition Jammu as a viable and enriching destination for religious, historical, and nature tourism. With such a strategy, they believe, domestic travel can be effectively stimulated and economic recovery accelerated.

Calls for a balanced and inclusive tourism policy are growing louder, with local businesses and operators emphasizing the urgent need to bring Jammu back into the spotlight. Many are willing to collaborate with authorities to shape a sustainable and long-term revival plan—one that not only restores confidence among travelers but also secures the livelihoods of the countless families that depend on this vital sector.

As the crisis deepens, the future of Jammu’s tourism economy rests on timely intervention, strategic planning, and equitable development that places the region on equal footing with other major destinations in the country.