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PAHALGAM, KASHMIR, June 27, 2003: Kashmir has once again become the destination for Indian families trying to escape blistering summer heat. Kashmir is a stunningly beautiful swath of Himalayan territory, but has been the scene of a brutal 13-year terrorist action and the focus of two wars between India and Pakistan. However, by June 24, 64,000 Indian and 800 foreign tourists had visited the Kashmir Valley this year, six times the number who arrived in the same period last year, according to state officials. The unexpected explosion in tourism has booked hotels solid and jammed flights. “I’ve never seen this many Western tourists,” said Eileen Salzig, a Manhattan copywriter who said she had been coming to Kashmir for the last three years. “I think it’s good for Kashmir.” There are many reasons for the turnaround. In April Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee began a peace initiative with Pakistan that reduced war fears. Killings in the state are down 20 percent this year, and a newly elected state government has started a “healing touch” policy intended to ease tensions and project an air of normalcy. However, away from the tourists spots, thousands of soldiers, militants and civilians are involved in countering the cross-border terrorism.

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