Srinagar, Pulwama, Budgam: More than a year after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 25 tourists and one local, the Lieutenant Governor (LG) administration in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has again tightened security restrictions across the Kashmir Valley, with several tourist locations still closed or only partially open to visitors.In the immediate aftermath of the attack last year, the J&K administration shut 48 of the Valley’s 87 tourist places as part of heightened security measures. While some tourist spots have since reopened, several offbeat destinations continue to remain closed, and a few that were partially reopened have again been closed in a fresh order.The continued restrictions have raised questions about the coordination between the National Conference (NC)-led government in the Union territory (UT) and the LG administration, which oversees the police in the UT. The order has also raised questions as J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah projects Kashmir as a “safe tourist destination” and seeks to diversify tourism beyond traditional tourist hotspots in the UT.Orders don’t specify reason behind closureThe updated official closure orders uploaded on district administration websites do not specify why these destinations continue to remain shut. The absence of a formal explanation comes even as the government has been encouraging tourists to explore lesser-known destinations in J&K.The updated closure order comes at a time when the Abdullah government has repeatedly pushed the need to promote unexplored destinations in J&K. Last year, during an interaction with a delegation of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), the chief minister said the UT administration was developing nine new tourist destinations, with particular focus on border tourism.Highlighting signs of recovery in the tourism industry, Abdullah said Kashmir’s tourism sector had shown resilience and expressed optimism about sustained growth, recalling the sharp increase in tourist movement witnessed since the 2022 season. Speaking to the media recently, Abdullah said that all the tourist places will likely reopen after the conclusion of Amarnath Yatra.However, the closure order by the LG administration draws a different picture, as the order mentions that the end date of the fresh closure will be 31-12-2026, indicating that the places mentioned in the order will remain closed for the whole year.The closed sites are spread across Kulgam, Srinagar, Budgam, Kupwara, Anantnag and Baramulla districts. Many are popular trekking routes, alpine meadows, waterfalls and high-altitude lakes that attract adventure tourists while also serving as picnic spots for locals.As per the latest district administration orders updated on July 7, 2026, the restricted destinations include Kounsarnag and Aharbal Waterfall in Kulgam; the Burzhama archaeological site, Dachigam National Park, the Theed-Dara-Faqir Gujri Axis, the Khambir-Astanmarg-Chatterhama Axis, Mameth and Mahadev Hills (via Faqir Gujri), and the Buddhist Monastery at Harwan in Srinagar district; Tosamaidan in Budgam; Bungus Valley in Kupwara; and Apple Valley Srigufwara, Daksum, Sinthan Top, Margan Top, Chandanwari, Chatabal Shangus, Baisaran and Tulian Lake in Anantnag district.In Baramulla district, the restrictions continue at Habba Khatoon Point, Kawnar, Babareshi, Ringawali, Gogaldara, Baderkote, Shrunz and Namblan waterfalls, Rampora and Rajpora, Chearhar, Mundji-Hamam-Markoot Waterfall, Khampoo and Bosnia Vijtop.While waterfalls typically attract day visitors, many of the other closed offbeat destinations include trekking routes leading to alpine lakes, glaciers and mountain passes visited by adventure tourists.Livelihoods linked to tourism economy affectedThe closures have also affected livelihoods linked to the tourism economy, including trekking guides, pony owners, transport operators, campsite operators and small businesses in remote villages that depend on seasonal visitors.“Last year there was a huge rush of visitors coming to this place, but this year very few people are coming due to the security restrictions imposed by the police,” a corn seller at the Namblan tourist spot, which is among the closed destinations, told The Wire.Criticising the government over the recently updated closure order, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) legislator Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra told The Wire that these places should be reopened to tourists and that people should be allowed to conduct their business.“Tourism is being used more as a narrative than as genuine economic support. Nearly 30 tourist destinations remain closed, and they need to be reopened. Their continued closure has affected both the tourism industry and local communities that depend on it for their livelihoods. The government should reconsider this decision in the interest of tourism while ensuring that the necessary security measures are put in place,” Parra said.Angered by the government’s decision to continue the restrictions, tour operators say the prolonged closure of these tourist destinations is undermining efforts to revive Kashmir’s tourism sector after the Pahalgam attack. They said the order has affected adventure tourism in the Valley, even as visitor arrivals to major destinations have begun to recover.Ashiq Hussain, a trekking guide from Budgam district, told The Wire that the closure of trekking routes across the Valley has badly affected the livelihoods of many people.“There are at least five people associated with a small trekking group: a cook, pony rider, guide, travel operator and cab driver. All of them have been badly affected by the closure of these places,” Hussain said, urging the LG administration to reopen the closed offbeat destinations.The demand for reopening the closed tourist destinations has also found support among political leaders. Former minister and People’s Democratic Front president Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen recently urged LG Manoj Sinha to reopen Tosamaidan, describing it as one of Kashmir’s premier adventure tourism destinations.Despite repeated calls to Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat, there was no response as The Wire sought to understand the security assessment behind the continued closure of these destinations. The story will be updated if and when a response is received.‘Let’s leave it to the government to decide’NC spokesperson Tahir Saeed told The Wire that the chief minister was doing his best to ensure the reopening of all tourist destinations and was optimistic that the remaining sites would be reopened in the coming months.“We understand the problems faced by the people due to the closure of tourist locations in the Valley and expect that the LG administration will understand that people are being affected and pushed towards unemployment. We request the LG administration to complete the security review on a fast-track basis and reopen these places,” Saeed said.When asked whether the security agencies had informed the Tourism Department about the updated list of closed destinations published on government websites on July 7, Director Tourism Syed Qamar Sajjad said the communication was an official matter that could not be shared with the public.Asked whether the Tourism Department had sought a review of the closures, Sajjad said, “Let’s leave it to the government to decide which places should be opened and which should remain closed as per the security assessment. Whatever places are available for tourists are enough to accommodate the visitors coming to Kashmir.”“We have cultural hubs like Downtown Srinagar, the Mughal gardens and several other destinations that are open for tourists,” he said, declining to comment on the destinations that remain closed.Speaking about the closure of trekking routes in Kashmir, Sajjad said all trekking routes would remain closed until further orders from the government.“Only around 3% of tourists who come to Kashmir visit for trekking. Most tourists come to see gardens and other well-known destinations. We have seen a boom in tourist arrivals and are optimistic that in the coming months we will witness good tourist footfall,” he said.Junaid Dar is an independent journalist.