Travel and tourism industry in the affected regions has come to a standstill
After 32 airports in northern and western India were abruptly closed until May 15, thousands of Indian families, students and business travellers are facing widespread cancellations and postponements at the height of the summer travel season.
The closures have come in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack in late April, which led to 26 deaths and resulted in India launching retaliatory attacks on terrorist bases in Pakistan. The conflagration has led to the closure of airports and detour of several international flights that normally criss-cross the conflict-hit zone.
As a result, the travel and tourism industry in the affected regions has come to a standstill just as demand was expected to peak. Several travellers as well as travel agents have felt the impact of the conflict.
“Next week, on May 13, I had planned to fly to Amsterdam for a summer vacation with my family. However, due to the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions and resulting travel disruptions, I was forced to cancel both my flight tickets and hotel reservations. Although this means a significant financial loss for me, I could not risk rescheduling because the situation remains unpredictable and unstable,” Payal Juneja, an interior designer based in Ludhiana, tells India Outbound.
Also Read: Airspace restrictions widen across India as conflict with Pakistan continues
May and June are typically the busiest months for outbound travel from India, with a surge in international departures as families take advantage of school holidays. This year, however, thousands have been forced to postpone or cancel their plans due to the closure of major airports such as Srinagar, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Jammu and Leh. Industry data shows that daily domestic flights have dropped by 11 pc, affecting 670 routes as of May 10.
Cox and Kings continues to offer hotel and flight bookings to Türkiye and Azerbaijan amid India and Pakistan conflict
“Last year during this period, there were no cancellations. Now, all flights from or to Amritsar have been cancelled, and travellers are being diverted to Delhi. Typically, we see a 30-40 pc spike in bookings from April to June, but this year, cancellations have wiped out weeks of revenue,” Arshdeep Baweja, Managing Director of Dunia Ghoomo, a travel company in Ludhiana, tells India Outbound.
International travel has also been affected, though to a lesser extent. Pakistan’s airspace closure has forced flights from Delhi and other major hubs to Europe, North America and Southeast Asia to reroute over the Arabian Sea, leading to delays of up to 2.5 hours and increased risk of missed connections.
While international airlines have either cancelled or rerouted flights to avoid the unstable airspace, Indian carriers such as Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet have suspended operations to and from the affected cities. Demand has been further reduced by travel advisories from countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Singapore, which warn against travel to Jammu and Kashmir and border regions, and in some cases, advise reconsidering travel to India altogether. This has further impacted inbound tourism, a sector still recovering from the pandemic.
Also Read: 27 airports in India to stay closed till May 10
Tour operators serving Indian outbound travellers are bearing the brunt, as many customers-especially families and students with fixed holiday windows-are forced to cancel. Airline refund policies vary, with some offering only partial credits or vouchers instead of cash. Rebooking is challenging due to uncertainty over when airports will reopen.
“Although major airlines are giving full refunds, hotels are not. They are offering compensation for future bookings instead. Travel agencies are following similar policies,” Baweja added.
The agents worry that prolonged disruptions could result in job losses, reduced incomes and economic instability in regions heavily dependent on travel and hospitality, as international bookings slow to a halt.
“So, ultimately, there are no new bookings right now. New bookings are completely zero amid the India-Pakistan crisis,” Baweja said.
The psychological impact-fear, uncertainty, and heightened vulnerability-may linger even after the immediate crisis subsides. However, some travellers remain optimistic that the situation will improve by next month.
EaseMyTrip also displayed hotel and flight bookings to Türkiye and Azerbaijan
“My family is supposed to fly to the US on June 8 for a six-month stay in Los Angeles. We are not cancelling. These things happen and we cannot let them jeopardise our plans,” Rajiv Narula, MD & COO, the Comforts, a corporate travel management company in Gurgaon, tells India Outbound.
Indians are known for their resilience as travellers, and many are determined not to let hardships deter them.
Interestingly, the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector appears largely insulated from the current turmoil.
“Most of my clients are the corporate heads of the Fortune 100 companies. All based in the US and Europe. Most MICE events are planned months in advance and routed through major hubs like Delhi and Mumbai, which remain operational. Corporate clients are opting for virtual or hybrid formats, minimising the impact on scheduled events,” says Narula.
In a separate development, some online travel agencies such as Ixigo, EaseMyTrip and Cox & Kings announced that they had stopped offering Türkiye and Azerbaijan due to their support to Pakistan in the ongoing conflict.
However, while Ixigo has removed flights to Türkiye and Azerbaijan from its website, India Outbound found EaseMyTrip and Cox and Kings continuing to offer hotel and flight bookings to both the countries.
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