The recent escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict, coupled with the involvement of the United States, is expected to impact India’s tourism sector — with Punjab, particularly Amritsar, likely to feel the strain, according to industry experts.
Amritsar usually sees a healthy influx of tourists from Israel, Iran, France, Spain, and Italy during July and August, coinciding with the summer holidays in these countries. However, rising geopolitical tensions and resulting disruptions in global air travel could cause a dip in international tourist arrivals.
The warning comes just as the local tourism industry has begun recovering from a slump caused by the India-Pakistan border tensions in May.
Gurinder Singh Johal, chairman of the Punjab chapter of the Indian Association of Tour Operators, said, “Tourists from these countries are eagerly awaited due to their high-spending potential. Their absence would be a major blow to the sector.”
Aviation experts point out that ongoing global conflicts are forcing airlines to take longer routes, resulting in higher airfares, which in turn is likely to make many travelers reconsider or cancel their plans.
Iranians, in particular, are known to enter India through the Attari-Wagah joint check-post, often travelling in small vanity vans for leisure trips.
Local taxi operator Balkar Singh expressed concern, saying, “We were counting on the monsoon tourist season for business revival. If this situation continues, we’ll be badly affected.”
Tourism stakeholders now fear that unless the situation stabilizes soon, Punjab’s international tourism revenue could see a sharp decline during the upcoming peak season.
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