Prominent tourism body calls for sincere efforts to restore peace in Ladakh

A prominent body of hoteliers and related businesses in Ladakh on Wednesday urged the people of the Union territory and the government to come together to restore peace as well as take steps to protect the fragile environment of the Himalayan region.

The All Ladakh Hotel and Guest House Association (ALHGHA) also called for a judicial inquiry into the killing of four persons in violent clashes in Leh town on September 24.

It said this year has been particularly challenging for the tourism industry in Ladakh.

“The season began with a sharp 50 per cent decline in tourist arrivals following the unfortunate Pahalgam incident, and was further disrupted by the unprecedented rains here and in neighbouring states. Now, with this recent tragedy, the crisis has deepened,” the president of ALHAGHA, Rigzin Wangmo Lachic, said in a statement here.

Tourism is the lifeline of Ladakh, and every stakeholder — whether hotels, guest houses, homestays, cafés, restaurants, taxis, or even bike rentals — represents not just individual enterprises but the livelihoods of a major percentage of population, she said.

“Most have built their businesses from scratch with heavy bank loans, and today they stand under immense financial stress. It is therefore imperative that the scale of this economic crisis be taken into account with utmost seriousness by the government,” she said. The Association sincerely hopes for peace to be restored at the earliest, the statement said and urged both the people of Ladakh and the government to come together to make this possible.

“We unequivocally support the people’s demand for safeguards because protecting our land and our rights is inseparable from protecting our livelihoods,” Lachic said.

Lachic said to continue with the current process, without deeper and more inclusive consultations, risks leading to ecological and cultural harm, and could jeopardise the harmony that has long supported both people and nature here.

“At the same time, it is essential to let diversity flourish, to decentralise and strengthen the local economy, and to create more space for the active involvement of local communities. Even within Ladakh, cultures across regions are distinct, and it is this very diversity that must be celebrated and protected,” she said. She noted that Ladakh’s unique landscape, extreme climatic conditions, and distinct culture are unlike anywhere else in the country. “This reality does not just call for, but demands, a bottom-up approach to policy: one that ensures the meaningful involvement of local voices and integrates our traditional knowledge systems and indigenous practices into all development plans,” she said.