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

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 WednesdayThe 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 saidThey said compared to 3349 foreign tourists visiting Ladakh in June 2025 the number of such visitors rose to 6680 in June 2026 registering a jump of 9946 per cent demonstrating Ladakhs growing recognition as a globally preferred destination for highaltitude adventure culture spirituality and sustainable tourism experiencesAmong 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 saidApart from the foreign visitors the overall tourist arrivals in Ladakh in June this year have gone up to 107740 representing a healthy growth of 4348 per cent over June 2025 when 75089 tourists had visited the UTIn the first six months beginning January a total of 225286 tourists visited Ladakh including 211645 domestic and 13641 foreign tourists the officials saidThey said the latest figures reflect the growing confidence of travellers in Ladakh as one of Indias most soughtafter yearround 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 touristfriendly ecosystemSaxena said the encouraging growth in tourist arrivals reflected the success of the administrations sustained efforts to position Ladakh as a premier tourism destination while ensuring sustainable development of the sectorTourism is one of the strongest pillars of Ladakhs 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 yearround tourism destination while ensuring that development remains sustainable and environmentally responsible the LG saidHe 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 tourismThe LG attributed the tourism surge to Prime Minister Narendra Modis push to domestic tourism and the massive infrastructure boost in LadakhSince assuming office in March Saxena has consistently accorded high priority to the tourism sectorUnder 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 tourismrelated activities the officials saidThe administration has also focused on diversifying Ladakhs tourism offerings beyond the conventional summer season by actively promoting winter tourism adventure tourism highaltitude trekking wildlife tourism rural tourism wellness tourism cultural tourism spiritual tourism and astrotourismSeveral national and international sporting events cultural festivals and tourism promotion campaigns have further contributed to extending the tourist season and increasing Ladakhs visibility in domestic and global tourism markets the officials addedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice