According to the estimate of an official, each tourist operator lost thousands of dollars in profits due to fear of a escalation between the two neighbors.
A large number of foreign tourists have canceled their trips to Gilgit-Baltisto due to the greatest tensions between Pakistan and India, depriving local local gain tour operators, a commercial agency official said Thursday.
The April 22 attack at the Pahalgama de Cashmiro occupied by India killed 26 people, mostly tourists, who mark one of the most mortal assaults in the region since 2000. New Delhi has involved cross -border links without evidence, while Pakistan’s civil and military leadership have rejected the accusation and requested a neutral test.
Since then, tensions have shot themselves, with Pakistan reinforcing their forces and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi giving “operational freedom” to his military. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said yesterday morning that there was credible evidence of an Indian attack within 36 hours, while the viceprimer minister Ishaq gave said that Pakistan would not attack first, but would respond decisively and strongly before the aggression.
With tensions high, Pakistan briefly closed the airspace on Gilgit-Baltistan, while India closed its airspace for all aircraft recorded in Pakistan, or those property and operated by airlines or Pakistani operators, including the military ship.
Ali Anwar Khan, general secretary of the Association of Operators of Tour de Gilgit-Baltistán, said: “The threat of war between Pakistan and India has impacted international tourism of the region this year.”
He added that tourists, including wealthy visitors from European and Commonwealth countries, have canceled their trips to the region due to the main geopolitical tensions. Khan added that many Thailand tourists had canceled their reservations.
In addition, he noted that around eight to ten foreign groups of his company had canceled their trips, while 200 tour operators had also reported a series of cancellations.
According to Khan’s estimate, each operator lost at least $ 50,000 to $ 80,000 in potential profits due to the current situation.
He said that most countries have already issued travel notices due to which foreign tourists quickly cancel their tours, while others have confirmed or are waiting for updates.
He said a foreign tourist spends an average of $ 1,500 on a tour. “Now the cancellations will affect the entire industry, from hotels to transport,” he added.
He said that foreign tourists who are currently in Gilgit-Baltistan are concerned about a possible escalation between the two neighbors with nuclear weapons. “They want to return to their countries immediately,” he said. “They are expressing fears that if they stay in Gilgit-Baltistan for longer to complete their tours, they will be trapped in a possible war between the two countries.”
Regarding foreign mountaineers who visit the region to climb eight Tossars peaks, including K2, he said that the sector had already been “severely affected” due to legal battles.
Previously, tour operators went to court to protest against the increase in taxes and fees for trekking and mountaineering by the Gilgit-Baltistan government.
A dispute between tour operators and the Tourism Department in Gilgit-Baltistan continues to affect the sector in the mountainous region, since the Supreme Court after suspending the increase in permits rates for foreign visitors had not yet provided clarity on the way to follow.
Khan said the circumstances affected a total of 2,000 foreign tourists.
According to a statement issued by the GB Tourism Department on Sunday, about 25,000 foreign tourists visited Gilgit-Baltistan last year.
He said that the GB government issued 2,300 mountaineers and foreign hikers for the GB government after paying permissions, but 22,000 foreign tourists visited Gilgit-Baltistan, many of them were already allowed to walk and climb without paying fees.
The Information Department also informed the GB Tourism Department that 700 foreign tourists interested in mountaineering and trekking have requested permits this year.
However, due to the Association of Pakistan Tour Operators that approaches the Court against permits fees, the issuance of permits, which used to be completed in two or three days, has now been suspended due to judicial procedures.
According to the tourism director, Gilgit-Baltistan, Iqbal Hussain, around 1.5 million national tourists visited the region last year.
He estimated that the income of tourism, domestic and foreign, would be around RS64 billion.
