Seven years after the suspension of cross-LoC trade and the closure of the Trade Facilitation Centre in Uri’s Salamabad, authorities plan to revive the infrastructure to boost border tourism.
Seven years after the suspension of cross-LoC trade and the closure of the Trade Facilitation Centre (TFC) in Salamabad, Uri, the Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to repurpose the facility into a border tourism hub.
The initiative aims to utilize the strategic and historical location near the Line of Control to attract visitors while putting the existing infrastructure to productive use. Under the government’s consideration, facilities within the TFC—including accommodation, a cafeteria, parks, and a viewpoint—will be restored to welcome domestic and international tourists.
“This location was once a hub for cross-LoC trade before it was suspended,” officials noted regarding the transition. “The government has now decided to restore residential facilities, the cafeteria, parks, and viewing areas here to facilitate visitors and promote border tourism in the region.”
Authorities noted that tourist arrivals to view the Aman Setu bridge at the Line of Control have steadily increased over the past two years, making the transformation of the Salamabad trade center a viable step for regional tourism growth. Previously, the facility remained largely underutilized while incurring maintenance costs with zero revenue.
According to official data, 2,757 tourists visited the crossing post during the first five months of 2026, with May alone recording 1,160 arrivals. Monthly figures show 418 visitors in January, 35 in February, 568 in March, and 576 in April.
This follows significant visitor numbers in 2025, when the border destination drew a total of 6,220 tourists across the year, including 510 in January, 593 in February, 304 in March, 1,071 in April, 11 in May, 564 in June, 726 in July, 643 in August, 481 in September, 559 in October, 352 in November, and 406 in December.
Located near the historical Aman Setu (Bridge of Peace), which connects the region to Pakistan-administered Kashmir, the Kaman Post serves as one of the final Indian military outposts before the Line of Control. The crossing historically facilitated the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and cross-LoC trade, giving the area profound strategic and historical importance.
The development follows a recent decision by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department empowering the Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir, to take over management of the Salamabad TFC for tourism-related activities and the promotion of border tourism. Under the directive, the TFC and its assets are being transferred to the tourism directorate to utilize the infrastructure effectively.
The Salamabad TFC emerged as a vital connectivity point following the launch of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service in 2005. The weekly ‘Caravan-e-Aman’ bus service operated via Salamabad, allowing divided families to reunite after decades of separation. The center later became a prominent location for cross-LoC trade, facilitating the exchange of goods between traders from both sides of the region.
However, cross-LoC trade and the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service were suspended in April 2019 following the Pulwama attack and subsequent security developments. The trade has remained halted since, leaving the extensive infrastructure at the Salamabad facility largely unused until the new tourism initiative.