Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Kavinder Gupta, chaired a high-level review meeting on November 28 to assess Ladakh’s preparedness for participation in major national and international tourism events, aimed at reviving the Union Territory’s declining tourist inflow and showcasing its unique cultural and adventure offerings.

Opening the briefing, Administrative Secretary Sanjit Rodrigues, IAS, informed the Lt Governor that tourism stakeholders from across Ladakh had urged the UT Administration to ensure greater representation at major tourism and trade exhibitions. They emphasised the need to strengthen digital outreach, launch targeted promotional campaigns, enhance media visibility, and collaborate with travel platforms, industry partners, and influencers to counter the sharp fall in tourist numbers recorded in 2025.

Rodrigues said the Tourism Department has already begun implementing a structured plan for Ladakh’s participation in key global and national tradeshows such as SATTE, TTFs, OTM Mumbai, ITB Asia (Singapore), WTM London, and ITB Berlin. He added that stakeholders will be actively involved in initiatives designed to boost winter tourism across the region.

The Lt Governor called for a long-term, dynamic tourism strategy to ensure sustained sectoral growth. Stressing the need for an aggressive and well-designed promotional campaign across key global and domestic markets, he said Ladakh’s presence at major tourism fairs must ultimately translate into increased visitor numbers and year-round economic gains.

Gupta said Ladakh must work toward restoring the peak visitor levels of 2022–23, when the region welcomed over five lakh tourists annually. To achieve this, he directed officials to prioritise marketing efforts in the top 10 international source countries from where Ladakh draws the highest number of travellers. Participation in international and national events, he noted, should be leveraged as high-impact platforms to position Ladakh as one of the world’s most distinctive tourism destinations.

Highlighting Ladakh’s traditionally strong summer inflow, the Lt Governor stressed the importance of extending tourist momentum into the winter months. He called for high-quality familiarisation (FAM) tours for leading domestic tour operators, digital influencers, and travel media to promote Ladakh’s signature winter attractions—Chadar Trek, winter sports, the Frozen Pangong Lake Marathon, horse polo, and unique wildlife experiences. Such initiatives, he said, can significantly enhance the appeal and commercial viability of off-season travel.

Gupta added that these targeted interventions would not only help restore Ladakh’s position as a premier tourism destination but also create greater livelihood and employment opportunities for local communities, especially the youth.