Kashmir route outpaces Manali as Ladakh tourism surges

Times of India Published Aug 8, 2026 Reviewed Aug 8, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors

Ladakh recorded 330,332 tourists from January to July this year, reaching 98.35% of the 335,872 tourists recorded last year.

330332 tourists · Ladakh98.35 percent · Ladakh , government spokesman

Air travel accounted for 47.64% of total arrivals in Ladakh.

47.64 percent · Air travel , government spokesman

Among tourists arriving by road, 35.27% entered Ladakh through the Kashmir route and 17.09% entered through the Manali route.

35.27 percent · Kashmir route17.09 percent · Manali route , Ladakh govt

In June and July, more than 212,000 tourists visited Ladakh, accounting for nearly 65% of the 330,000 total arrivals recorded so far this year.

more than 212000 tourists · Ladakhabout 65 percent · Ladakh , government spokesman

Ladakh’s total road network increased from 1,799 km in 2019 to over 4,200 km in 2026, while the number of bridges increased from 19 to 72.

1799 km · road networkmore than 4200 km · road network19 bridges · bridges72 bridges · bridges , government spokesman

Zoji La, the gateway to Ladakh from Kashmir, remained closed for 127 days annually before 2026 and for only 16 days in 2026.

127 days · Zoji La closure16 days · Zoji La closure , government spokesman

The annual closure of the Kargil-Zanskar Road declined from 154 days to 11 days, improving near-year-round connectivity for tourists.

154 days · Kargil-Zanskar Road closure11 days · Kargil-Zanskar Road closure , government spokesman

The number of homestays in Ladakh increased from 128 in 2019 to 2,275 in 2026.

128 homestays · homestays2275 homestays · homestays , government spokesman

Ladakh crossed the 100,000 tourist arrivals mark for two successive months and achieved more than 98% of the entire 2025 footfall by the end of July.

100000 tourists · Ladakhmore than 98 percent · Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, Lieutenant Governor

SRINAGAR: Ladakh continues to witness a surge in tourist arrivals, with the union territory recording 330,332 tourists from Jan to July this year, already reaching 98.35% of the 335,872 tourists recorded last year, a govt spokesman said.Air travel remained the most popular mode of reaching Ladakh, accounting for 47.64% of the total arrivals.

Among tourists arriving by road, the Kashmir route continued to be more popular than the Manali route, with 35.27% entering Ladakh through Kashmir compared with 17.09% through Manali, according to the latest figures released by the Ladakh govt.“The surge in tourism numbers has been particularly noticeable in June and July, when more than 2.12 lakh tourists visited Ladakh, accounting for nearly 65% of the total 3.30 lakh tourist arrivals recorded so far this year,” the spokesman said.He said the growth in tourism coincides with a major and rapid transformation in Ladakh’s connectivity infrastructure since the formation of the UT.

“The total road network has increased from 1,799 km in 2019 to over 4,200 km in 2026, while the number of bridges has increased from 19 to 72,” he added.He said the period of seasonal disruption on key routes has also reduced substantially. Zoji La, the gateway to Ladakh from Kashmir, which earlier remained closed for around 127 days annually, now remains closed for only 16 days.

“Similarly, the annual closure of the Kargil-Zanskar Road has declined from 154 days to 11 days, significantly improving near-year-round connectivity for tourists,” he said, adding that the number of homestays has increased from 128 in 2019 to 2,275 in 2026, creating new livelihood opportunities for local households.The spokesman said the surge in tourist arrivals during June and July has also been supported by a calendar of cultural, spiritual and experiential events organised across Ladakh.Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, in a statement, attributed the growing tourist footfall, particularly domestic tourism, to the sustained infrastructure development in Ladakh and the appeal of PM Narendra Modi to citizens to visit tourist places in India and promote domestic tourism.“The fact that Ladakh has crossed the 1 lakh mark in tourist arrivals for two successive months and has already achieved more than 98% of the entire 2025 footfall by the end of July is a very encouraging milestone,” Saxena said.Get the latest India News and Live updates.

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