Leh: Since time immemorial, the Himalayas have been a place of pilgrimage, spiritual activity, nature lovers, trade, scientific travel, adventure sports and mountaineering. And Ladakh, the “Land of High Passes,” is the gateway to that heaven. It was inaccessible to the world until the mid-1970s, but today tourism is its most promising industry.
Ladakh is unrivaled in its biophysical and sociocultural elements. A vision paper for Ladakh earlier this year to promote inclusive growth that benefits the local community.
Rough rivers and rugged terrain are a dream come true for trekkers, rafters, backpackers, climbers and bikers.
The Ministry of Tourism presented the vision and its untapped potential, and rebranded Ladakh as a sustainable eco-destination. UT is emerging as a valuable low-impact tourism destination.
Unfortunately, due to the fact that the popularity of destinations is uneven, many remote areas have not received due attention, forcing their residents to migrate.
With fair development in all regions of Utah, more employment opportunities will be created for local residents, and economic migration will stop.
Tourist influx zones such as Leh and Diskit will be liberated, and the ecological, social and cultural balance will be maintained in the region – this is the basis of the Tourism Vision Document.
It focuses on the topographical advantage and cultural heritage of Ladakh without compromising its fragile ecosystem, and is scaling up tourism to promote the economic and social well-being of the region’s inhabitants.
This requires: (i) Improve infrastructure (ii) Conduct an assessment of the capacity of Ladakh (iii) Open new routes, build new roads (iv) Improve garbage collection and sanitation facilities (v) Ensure rapid evacuation of the service in case of emergencies ( vi) Provide conditions for tourists to stay in winter.
This plan will require effort and local cooperation. To this end, the administration will: (i) Build local capacity (ii) Establish a specialized institution for professional training in hospitality management (iii) Encourage local arts and crafts, especially through the souvenir market (iv) Encourage community-based tourism (v ) Decentralization of tourism infrastructure in villages.
The plan aims to: (i) Expand the tourism package (ii) Enter the winter tourism market (iii) Explore ancient trade routes, pilgrimage tourism, ecotourism.
In 2018, the number of tourists exceeded three million people, which exceeds the population of this union territory. This is why a critical analysis of short-term and long-term gains and losses is necessary.
The Vision document aims to make Ladakh more self sufficient than self sufficient.
It will remind and strengthen the traditional system of agriculture and animal husbandry of Ladakh, use the latest scientific technology to increase productivity, and bring more land…