Leh violence scares tourists away, tour operators report mass cancellations

Leh, which witnessed violence earlier this week, is now seeing its primary economic sector—tourism—take a direct hit. According to the region’s top tour operator association, a significant number of travel bookings have been cancelled amid the unrest.

Tourism in Ladakh has been on the rise in recent years, with both domestic and international tourist footfall increasing, especially following Operation Sindoor, officials said. However, since Wednesday, curfew has remained in force in violence-hit Leh, with police and paramilitary forces intensifying patrols and security checks—a day after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) and transferred to Jodhpur Jail.

“We have seen a 30 percent booking cancellation rate. Every tour operator is getting calls from one or two clients requesting trip cancellations,” said Dorjay Stumpa, President of the All Ladakh Tour Operator Association (ALTOA), while speaking to The Tribune. The summer tourism season in Leh typically runs until October 15. Despite continued good weather, this week’s violent events have led many tourists to alter their travel plans.

In central Leh, roads have largely been deserted, with most locals staying indoors. Interestingly, a few foreign tourists were seen walking the near-empty streets.

Stumpa said the association has now requested the administration to allow cafés and eateries in the town to open, especially for foreign tourists who are currently staying.

A local hotelier shared that the recent violence has instilled fear among potential visitors. “Even though the unrest is localised and hasn’t spread across all of Ladakh, many tourist groups are now hesitant to come,” he said.

A group of Malaysian tourists who arrived in Leh on Saturday morning expressed disappointment over the situation. “We stayed inside the hotel for most of the day. It was disappointing to see the markets shut. However, in the afternoon we were informed that some shops had opened, so we went out for a short walk before returning,” said a member of the group. On Saturday, for the first time since Wednesday, the authorities briefly relaxed the curfew in Leh town. People rushed to markets, and traffic jams were reported in several areas.

Despite the cancellations, tourist arrivals have not stopped completely. At Leh Airport on Saturday, both domestic and international tourists were seen arriving.

“We had booked our tickets a month ago. We called our tour operator who told us the situation was improving, so we decided to go ahead with our trip. But we’ve changed our itinerary and will be heading to Nubra tomorrow instead of staying in Leh,” said a tourist from Kolkata.