India’s war frenzy hits tourism on both sides of border in Kashmir

SRINAGAR, /PIR CHINASI, : Hotels and houseboats in Indian Kashmir are offering discounts of up to 70% after travellers fled following a deadly attack. On the Pakistani side, a tourist hotspot just on the border was sealed off as war cries between the foes grow louder.Residents in the divided Himalayan region known for its snow-covered peaks, fast-running streams and majestic Mughal-era gardens rely heavily on tourism, but their livelihood has become one of the first victims of the latest hostilities between Pakistan and India.
The nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two wars over the disputed region, which they both claim in full while ruling in part, and skirmishes between troops stationed along the de facto border have made Kashmir the frontline of their discord.
But a sharp decline in militancy and a ceasefire that largely held for four years sparked a tourism boom, sending more than 3 million travellers to the Indian side of Kashmir last year while nearly 1.5 million vacationed on the Pakistan side.