Poor road connectivity and expensive air travel continue to keep tourists away from the land ofhigh passes — Ladakh, as the number of both domestic and foreign visitors to the region recorded a decline in 2015 compared to the year 2014.
Apart from this, the logistical challenges being faced by the tourism industry in Ladakh (Leh and Kargil districts) are quite contrary to the state government’s much-touted claims. The dwindling number of tourists would directly hit the economy of the region.
“A total of 2,14,413 tourists, including 32,562 foreigners, visited Ladakh last year, registering a decline of 17,087 tourists as compared to the corresponding year 2014 when at least 2,31,500 tourists, including 61,500 foreign visitors, made it to the cold desert of the country,” official sources said.
The sources said, “Atotal of 1,46,413 tourists— 1,16,851 domesticand 29,562 foreigners— reached Leh districtin 2015, while thenumber of tourists visiting Kargil district for the period was 63,000, including 3,000 foreigners.”
Similarly, the number of tourists visiting Leh district in 2015 was 1,81,000, including 59,000 foreigners, while it was 50,500 tourists in Kargil district, including 2,500 foreigners. In 2013, only 1.86 lakh tourists, including 33,000 foreigners, had visited the Ladakh region.
Sources attributed the high number of foreign tourists to the Kalachakra festival in 2014, which is believed to be the “most important” ritual of the Mahayana sect of Buddhists living across the globe, held after a long gap of 26 years.
“Currently, air travel is the only mode of transport to the region. The cost of air ticket for travelling between Leh to Delhi (one-way) has reached up to Rs 25,000 per person. Besides, airlines have reduced the frequency of flights to the region,” the sources said.
Sonam Dawa Lonpo, Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, said the connectivity has remained a major issue for Ladakh.
“The air travel is quite expensive, while the closure of two vital highways — 434-km-long Srinagar-Kargil-Leh and 474-km-long Manali-Leh — for six months in winters virtually makes it impossible for tourists to make their trip to the region which is blessed with natural beauty,” he said.
He said the council had taken up the matter with the Union Government and the Civil Aviation Ministry had been requested to slash the rates of air fare.
“We have been assured by the Centre that the rates of tickets for airtravel will be slashed and subsidised from this year so that more tourists can make their plans for Ladakh,” he said.
Mehboob Ali, Assistant Director, Tourism, Leh, said the expensive air travel and inaccessibility to region due to closure of highways for almost six months were the major issues which had been hitting the tourism industry in Ladakh.
“We have various plans to encourage and attract tourists to the region, but the logistical challenges are proving to be major hindrances for the department,” he added.
Aga Syed Tohwa, Assistant Director, Tourism, Kargil, said they did not have direct air connectivity to the district like Leh, which discouraged the tourists from making a trip to the region.
Poor connectivity, expensive air travel hit Ladakh tourism
