Tourism to Leh declines by 50%

The tourism in Leh has seen a big decline, with numbers declining by over 50 per cent in 2019 as compared to last year, claim hospitality stakeholders in the region. The reason for the low numbers is because of Jet Airways grounding, Lok Sabha elections, safety situation in Kashmir and late opening of Leh-Manali road, according to reports. Zahoor Qari, Chairman, J&K Chapter—TAAI, however says that the situation is improving, saying, “There was a steep decline initially, but the situation is now improving and we are seeing a rise in numbers now going to Leh. Things have settled down and demand is increasing, and people are travelling to Ladakh in good numbers. We might not see a huge rise this year, but the situation is not bad.”