Ladakh: Tourists Laud Govt For Development Amid Relaxation In COVID-19 Restrictions
Ladakh is popular for its tourism and is called ‘The Little Tibet of India’ due to its vast advancing Buddhist culture and practices. Tourists visit Ladakh for its weather experience, camel safari, trekking and biking. Amid COVID-19 restrictions in Ladakh, tourists were spotted flocking around in the snow and enjoying camel safaris, where they appreciated the Ladakh Govt for its new advancement and infrastructure development including roads.
Ladakh- a hub of tourism
Ladakh is a high-altitude desert in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Covering an area of 40,000 square miles, it supports a population of only about 120,00, the majority of whom make their living through subsistence agriculture. In 1974, the region was opened to international tourism, and the old culture faced a rapid invasion of the modern world. Tourist arrivals grew rapidly from a few hundred in the initial years to around 15,000 by the mid-1980s. Foreign tourist arrivals have stabilized at about this level. The last 15 years have seen a vigorous program of development in Ladakh, which has brought changes in education, health care, agriculture, energy, and transportation. Ladakh, sometimes referred to as Little Tibet, is popular with tourists because it is home to one of the purest remaining examples of Tibetan Buddhist culture. Tourism, a major contributor to Ladakh’s cash economy, has brought clear economic benefits to the minority involved in this trade.
Tourists laud new development in Ladakh
Ladakh was declared a Union Territory on August 5 last year as the Indian government granted UT status to the region in a historic decision. Amid COVID-19 restrictions laid by the Ladakh administration, tourists were spotted vacationing in the valley of Ladakh and appreciated the government for the new development undertaken in Ladakh, providing good infrastructure and properly built roads. Ladakh Govt has fulfilled the promise of people of building an abode with all good facilities including wide, well-built roads, properly constructed houses, education facility to all and employment opportunities.
Tourists were spotted playing in the snow and enjoying camel safari in Ladakh. Many bikers and trekkers also visited Ladhak and appreciated the new development undertaken. “I have come from Maharashtra. I have a club named Biker Ride Club. We organise bike rides . We could not come last year due to COVID-19 otherwise, we come here every year”. “Presently, the development is good. The roads have become nicer, but earlier, the situation was pretty bad. Now, the facilities have become better,” a biker reported.
Another tourist Amrita from Nashik said, “I have come to Ladakh for the first time, I always wanted to come to Ladakh on a bike. It’s a dream come true. I will come here every year”. Another tourist, Dr Vipin Yadav said, “I came here 15 years back. The road conditions have improved”. Yet another tourist Aishwarya said, “I was apprehensive about the development and roads, but after coming here, I saw the development by the govt. It looks so good. The govt has made roads to such an extent which looks good. My advice for tourists is to follow COVID-19 protocols”.
