Actor Atul Kulkarni reaches Pahalgam with 'chalo Kashmir' appeal to tourists

New Delhi: At a time when tourism has taken a hit due to the terror attack in Pahalgam, actor Atul Kulkarni has landed in Jammu and Kashmir with an appeal to fellow citizens to visit the Himalayan region in huge numbers.

Kulkarni reached Srinagar on Sunday early morning and drove straight to Pahalgam where terrorists killed at least 26 persons earlier this week, prompting tourists to give Jammu and Kashmir a miss in their holiday itinerary.

"The intention of the terror attack was to tell tourists not to come to Kashmir. If we cancel our plans to travel to Kashmir, we are in a way allowing the intentions of the terrorists to succeed," the actor told PTI.

On Sunday morning, Kulkarni posted photographs of a virtually empty Mumbai-Srinagar flight.

"Crew said these ran full. We need to fill them again (sic)" he wrote in a post on X, with hashtags such as 'Chalo Kashmir', 'Defeat Terror', 'Feet in Kashmir'.

With a message to "defeat terrorism", the actor-writer said he plans to tour Kashmir for the next two days, interact with the locals, and urge others to visit the region.

Known for his roles in films such as "Natarang", "Raees", and "Chandni Bar", Kulkarni said one can understand that people could be shocked due to the terror attack, but shunning Kashmir as a tourist destination is not the answer.

He said there was a need to revive tourism in Kashmir at the earliest as such activities not only give the local economy a boost but also help people from across the country to understand each other.

Kulkarni said he came across a group of tourists from Tamil Nadu in Pahalgam, who were keen to understand the Kashmiri way of life.

"Such people-to-people interaction will also help forge close bonds and also send a message of unity and compassion," he said.

Hotels and houseboats in Kashmir have seen up to 80 per cent cancellations in tourist bookings in the immediate aftermath of the terror attack at Baisaran in Pahalgam.

Thousands of tourists cut short their vacation in Kashmir and returned to their homes by special flights and trains after the April 22 terror attack.