Hi there,
Today, I would like to touch upon tourism sector of Ladakh. After covid the arrival of visitors are increasing each succeeding years. Domestic tourism is more in numbers than the foreign.This year much of the major international visitors are from Isreal.
It is alright to have many tourists but the question is on what cost? Today millions of gallons of water are just wasted in the use of bathrooms and flush toilets? All the hotels and guest houses have dug borewells by investing money on each borewell @ rate of Rs.1.2 lacs.
Ladakh is a high altitude desert region and its valleys are fed up with glacier melt water. Now that much of the glaciers have already melted away it appears that the future of climate in Ladakh appears grim and sadly affair added by huge dug up of borewells all over the place?
The number of borewell dug up as per the estimate of Ladakh Ecological Development-Group (LEDeG) is more then 3000 figure which is an old estimate of some 5 to 7 years back think of the number now?
There are about 30,000 odd vehicles for a population of 1.50 lacs of people in Leh district. This includes all kinds of vehicles. Then there are outside vehicles or the floating vehicles that is increasing every year in numbers with domestic visitors bringing in their motors?
What I want to make the point is that, is this sustainable tourism or haphazard one? Can we not follow Bhutan kind of policy of imposing certain fees say 100 dollars per day per foreign visitors and Rs 500 per day per domestic visitors? Next year things are going to explode so it is the best time.
Initially things will be difficult but gradually the numbers of incoming visitors will be curtailed and these would be of quality tourism and visitors interested towards Ladakh’s culture and heritage?
Today, there seems to be very few monastic guides the question is, what is the reason? I wonder if the Gompa Association of Ladakh would like to look into these issues. They are solely responsible for promoting the monastic life, culture and Buddha Dharma. Therefore we need to give a new emphasis on monastic visits in public transport with qualified guides.
Can ALTOA (All Ladakh Tour Operators Association) think of initiating public transport facility for domestic tourists? For varied destination as a pilot project this could be welcomed by the domestic and foreign visitors with low budget?
There could be public transport to visit various monasteries during week days. Taking them to monasteries in the morning and returning in the evening with qualified monastic guides which will also involve unemployed youths into tourism sector?
The former Minister Mr. Nawang Rigzin Jora, Mr. Rigzin Spalbar former two times Chairman Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Ladakh (LAHDC), former Ambassador Mr. P Stobdan, Late Sonam Nuboo Spurkapa, Mr Tashi Motup Kao and former Minister Tsering Dorje Lakruk all engaged themselves in toursism sector as guides, travel agent, hotlier and so forth and contributed immensely towards tourism promotion and development!
The present generation with much more exposure of taking part in international tourism marketing meets should really think of ‘Sustainable Tourism Future of Ladakh’. We need quality tourism and not quantity, a visit to Bhutan by our tourism leaders is a must and should be done this winter.
Learning from few respected tourist destination is a must that also includes Indonesia they have came up with new guidelines, Singapore, Japan, Newzealand and Mongolia. There could be some more you all involved in tourism knows quite well.Bye for now.