Ladakh creates buzz in Delhi
Representatives from various tourism bodies discussed how they can ensure sustainable tourism in Ladakh at Ladakh Travel Meet held recently in Delhi.
The Ladakh Travel Meet was attended by 70 delegates including tour operators, mem Tsetan Angchuk, President, All Ladakh Tour Operators Association of India (ALTOI) said, “The purpose of this event is to give an overview of the development, sustainable tourism, and all the facilities and infrastructure in Ladakh over the decade. We also want to promote Ladakh’s adventure and culture. We in that included our own members J&K Tourism.”
With almost 110 peaks, most of which are bordering China or Pakistan, Ladakh is a great opportunity for adventure lovers, Angchuk informed. “The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has opened nine routes routes for jeep safari and four are new adventure trekking routes. The inner line permit to places like Nubra Valley, Pangong Lake, Samori Lake and Aryan Valley has been extended to 15 days from the earlier seven days,” he said. The connectivity to Ladakh has been enhanced to further boost numbers to the destination. “As Ladakh airport is maintained by the Indian Air Force ( IAF), there are some restrictions during military exercises. Indian Air Force has given us two extra bases so that the maximum number of flights can be accommodated. Currently, we have about 14 to 15 flights operating directly from Delhi, Mumbai and Chandigarh,” said Angchuk. Ladakh is cut-off from the rest of the world for six months during winters. “In the six months of summer, tourists can visit through Leh-Manali from the Srinagar highway. The roads are better now and the travel time has reduced by three to four hours. We have 16,000-17,000 bed capacity of hotels in Leh alone,” he concluded.