Ladakh posts 44 pc growth in June tourist arrivals; Israelis lead foreign visitors

Leh, Jul 8 (PTI) Tourist arrivals in Ladakh surged in June, with the Union Territory recording a 44 per cent increase in overall visitors compared with the same month last year, officials said on Wednesday. The surge was even more noticeable among international travellers, whose arrivals more than doubled during the month, with tourists from Israel emerging as the largest foreign visitor group, the officials said. They said compared to 3,349 foreign tourists visiting Ladakh in June 2025, the number of such visitors rose to 6,680 in June 2026, registering a jump of 99.46 per cent, demonstrating Ladakh's growing recognition as a globally preferred destination for high-altitude adventure, culture, spirituality and sustainable tourism experiences. Among international visitors, Israel continues to emerge as the largest source market for Ladakh, followed by Thailand, the United States, Vietnam, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Malaysia, Australia, Taiwan, Russia, Italy, South Korea, Spain and other European and Southeast Asian countries, the officials said. Apart from the foreign visitors, the overall tourist arrivals in Ladakh in June this year have gone up to 1,07,740, representing a healthy growth of 43.48 per cent over June 2025, when 75,089 tourists had visited the UT. In the first six months beginning January, a total of 2,25,286 tourists visited Ladakh, including 2,11,645 domestic and 13,641 foreign tourists, the officials said. They said the latest figures reflect the growing confidence of travellers in Ladakh as one of India's most sought-after year-round tourism destinations and underscore the success of sustained efforts undertaken by the UT administration under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena to strengthen tourism infrastructure and create a more tourist-friendly ecosystem. Saxena said the encouraging growth in tourist arrivals reflected the success of the administration's sustained efforts to position Ladakh as a premier tourism destination while ensuring sustainable development of the sector. "Tourism is one of the strongest pillars of Ladakh's economy and a vital source of livelihood for thousands of our people. The remarkable increase in tourist arrivals this year is a reflection of our sustained efforts to position Ladakh as a premier, year-round tourism destination while ensuring that development remains sustainable and environmentally responsible," the LG said. He said it was heartening to see this growth bringing renewed confidence and economic opportunities for the hoteliers, guesthouse owners, homestay operators, tour operators, transporters, trekking guides, artisans, entrepreneurs and local communities whose livelihoods depend on tourism. The LG attributed the tourism surge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to domestic tourism and the massive infrastructure boost in Ladakh. Since assuming office in March, Saxena has consistently accorded high priority to the tourism sector. Under his leadership, the administration has undertaken several transformative reforms, including simplifying regulatory procedures, reducing compliance burden, granting Industry Status to hotels and guesthouses, improving tourism infrastructure, strengthening air and road connectivity, expanding visitor amenities, and encouraging private investment in tourism-related activities, the officials said. The administration has also focused on diversifying Ladakh's tourism offerings beyond the conventional summer season by actively promoting winter tourism, adventure tourism, high-altitude trekking, wildlife tourism, rural tourism, wellness tourism, cultural tourism, spiritual tourism and astro-tourism. Several national and international sporting events, cultural festivals and tourism promotion campaigns have further contributed to extending the tourist season and increasing Ladakh's visibility in domestic and global tourism markets, the officials added. PTI TAS KVK KVK