Tourists from Karnataka struggle to return from north Indian destinations

Travellers from Karnataka stuck in northern India amid tensions, changing destinations to South India, caution advised for international travel.

Amid the ongoing tension in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, travellers from Karnataka who were stuck in northern parts of the country are struggling to return and are taking multiple modes of transport to make it home.

A group of 15 people from Bengaluru had gone to Leh, Ladakh, a few days ago and decided to cut short their trip and return after the developments in the last two days. “They had booked a package, and their tour was cut short by two or three days due to disruptions in flight schedules. Some of them travelled to Delhi by road and are then waiting for a flight. Some who had travelled to Srinagar were supposed to go to Amritsar on Friday, but then cancelled it and travelled to Manali by road and are looking for flights or trains to get back,” said an employee of Bangalore Classic Tours and Travels in Basvanagudi.

Those who have not left on their tours yet are changing their travel destinations from ones in the northern part of the country to locations in Kerala and Karnataka. “For now, people are okay with travelling in South India. At least three of our groups that were supposed to go to Kashmir cancelled it and decided to go to destinations such as Wayanad, Kodagu, Ooty, and Mysuru,” said an employee of Shree Tours and Travels at Mahalakshmi Layout here.

Tour operators said that the most popular north Indian destination during the summer season is Kashmir, and places such as Rajasthan and Gujarat are not the preferred choice due to the heat conditions. “Maybe one or two of them had planned to go to Rajashtan, but otherwise all the bookings were to Srinagar, Leh, and Ladakh,” an operator said. 

They said that while domestic travel patterns have changed slightly, there has not been much change in international plans as tourists continue to fly out.

Some travel agencies are asking their customers to exercise caution while choosing their international travel destinations. For instance, EaseMyTrip recommended that their customers visit destinations such as Turkey and Azerbaijan only if necessary.