Kashmir route outpaces Manali as Ladakh tourism surges
In the period from January to July, Ladakh has welcomed a remarkable 330,332 tourists. Air travel continues to be the favored mode of access to this stunning union territory. Among road travelers, the route through Kashmir is increasingly popular over the Manali path. Enhanced infrastructure and well-planned events have fueled this tourism surge, with burgeoning homestays offering fresh job…
Srinagar, July 31: Ladakh witnessed a significant increase in tourist arrivals, recording 330,332 visitors from January to July this year, surpassing 98.35% of the 335,872 tourists from the same period last year, according to a government spokesperson. Air travel accounted for 47.64% of the total arrivals, with the Kashmir route being the preferred mode for road travelers, representing 35.27% of road arrivals compared to 17.09% via Manali.
The surge in tourism was most pronounced in June and July, when over 2.12 lakh tourists visited Ladakh, comprising nearly 65% of the total 3.30 lakh arrivals so far in 2025. This growth coincides with the substantial improvements in Ladakh's connectivity infrastructure since the region's formation, with the road network expanding from 1,799 km in 2019 to over 4,200 km in 2026 and the number of bridges increasing from 19 to 72.
The previously seasonal disruptions on key routes have also been significantly reduced, with Zoji La, the primary gateway from Kashmir, now experiencing closures for only 16 days annually instead of the previous 127. The Kargil-Zanskar Road's annual closure has dropped from 154 days to just 11 days, enhancing near-year-round accessibility for tourists. Furthermore, the number of homestays has skyrocketed from 128 in 2019 to 2,275 in 2026, offering fresh economic prospects for local residents.
The increase in tourist arrivals during the crucial June and July months was further bolstered by a series of cultural, spiritual, and experiential events organized across Ladakh. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena attributed the rising domestic tourism to the continuous infrastructure development and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal for citizens to visit and promote domestic tourism in India.
Saxena noted that the achievement of more than 98% of Ladakh's total tourist footfall by the end of July, even surpassing the 1 lakh mark for two straight months, marks a highly encouraging milestone for the region.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
