September 3, 2019
Minister Patel was briefed by the Cultural Society of Leh and the Travel Trade Alliance of Ladakh as well as Shri Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, MP from Ladakh
Suggestions included promotion of adventure tourism, winter tourism, better connectivity from different parts of the country to Leh, Kargil and Nubra Valley
Another topic discussed on the trip was the opening of a Hotel Management Institute and a Mountaineering Institute in the area to boost skill development
Government assures its support to develop the travel and tourism industry in the newly announced Union Territory that will unleash robust economic growth
Earlier this month, the Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, Prahlad Singh Patel, concluded his three-day tour to Leh for exploring opportunities of increasing tourism in the region. He met various stakeholder counterparts, including Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, MP from Ladakh; members of the Cultural Society of Leh and the Travel Trade Alliance of Ladakh.
Together they had a discussion on the avenues and opportunities that can be explored to boost tourism in the region. Promoting adventure tourism, winter tourism and cheap and better connectivity from different parts of countries to Leh, Kargil and Nubra Valley in all seasons remained the highlight of the discussions. Another ask was to facilitate the opening of Hotel Management Institute and Mountaineering Institute in the area to promote local talent.
MInister Patel appreciated Ladakh as a tourist destination for its natural beauty, peace and rich culture. He reassured that the government will take concrete steps to develop tourism in the newly announced UT. This was a welcome move to boost tourism in the country given that recently, India ranked number 34 on Travel and Tourism Competitive Index (TTCI) in a report by the World Economic Forum (WEF). India, which accounts for the majority of South Asia’s T&T (travel and tourism) GDP, remains the sub-region’s most competitive T&T economy.
The report lauded its natural and cultural assets and price competitiveness. From a sub-regional perspective, India was recognized have better air infrastructure (rank 33) and ground and port infrastructure (rank 28), international openness (rank 51) and natural (rank 14) and cultural resources.
The top 35 economies in the WEF Travel and Tourism rankings account for around 84 per cent of the global travel and tourism GDP, and nearly 70 per cent of all international tourist arrivals. From the 35 countries in the list, six are from high-income economies, 20 from Europe, 10 are from Asia-Pacific, four from the Americas and one from the Middle East and North Africa region.