Leh Mar 10: Tourist footfall in Ladakh tanked sharply in 2025, with Kargil reeling from a massive 70% drop in domestic visitors, official data revealed Monday in Lok Sabha.
Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, responding to MP Mohmad Haneefa’s query, flagged a 27% slide in Leh’s domestic arrivals (292,836 in 2024 to 212,799 in 2025) and steeper foreign dips—17% in Leh, 27% in Kargil. Blame fell on security flare-ups sparking global advisories and brutal monsoons wrecking roads, gutting livelihoods.
The administration swung into relief mode: Ladakh’s Finance Department tapped RBI calamity aid in September 2025, unlocking bank packages from SBI, PNB, and J&K Bank—think loan restructures, moratoriums, interest conversions, and fresh capital for tourism-hit borrowers.
Longer-term boosts include up to ₹5 crore per UT under Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan for village homestays, plus collateral-free Mudra loans in Budget 2025-26 to spark rural stays in fragile spots like Ladakh.
