Leh, Apr 1: The Union Territory administration has directed all tourist trade units in the Durbuk–Nyoma belt of eastern Ladakh to obtain mandatory registration with the Tourism Department, a move that addresses a long-pending demand in the Changthang region while also drawing attention to broader regulatory gaps across high-altitude tourism circuits.
An official communication issued on Tuesday by the Office of the Assistant Director, Tourism, Leh, has instructed the Sub-Divisional Magistrates of Durbuk and Nyoma to ensure immediate enforcement of the directive and its wide dissemination among stakeholders. Authorities have been tasked with ensuring that all unregistered operators complete the prescribed formalities in accordance with existing departmental regulations.
The order, issued in compliance with earlier minutes of the Directorate of Tourism, reflects a coordinated administrative effort to streamline tourism activity in ecologically sensitive and strategically important areas. Officials have emphasised that compliance will be central to ensuring orderly operations, regulatory oversight and a transparent framework for tourism enterprises.
The development assumes significance in the context of the Changthang region, where several tourist establishments — particularly in Pangong, Tangtse, Chushul, Hanle and the Tso Moriri belt — have remained outside the formal registration framework due to longstanding wildlife-related restrictions.
Welcoming the decision, Tashi Gyalson described it as the resolution of a long-pending issue concerning the registration of tourist trade units in Nyoma. Congratulating the people of Changthang, he said the matter had been a persistent concern for local stakeholders dependent on tourism for their livelihoods.
Gyalson said the issue was taken up at multiple levels following representations from delegations of local stakeholders, including political representatives and tourism operators. He noted that the matter was brought to the attention of the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Secretary by him, along with senior leaders including Tashi Gyaltsan Khachu and Tashi Namgyal Yakzee.
He further acknowledged the role of several local leaders, including Ishey Spalzang Tsaga, Karma Namdak, Thinles Nurboo and Konchok Tsephel, in persistently pursuing the issue.
Expressing gratitude to the administration, Gyalson said, “The prompt intervention by the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Secretary reflects a clear commitment to addressing the concerns of the people and ensuring the growth of tourism in the Changthang region.” He also appreciated the efforts of the Tourism Department and the local administration in facilitating compliance and improving the ease of doing business for tourism stakeholders.
Konchok Stanzin said the directive would help align ground realities with policy by enabling local operators to function within a defined legal framework. “Communities in areas such as Durbuk and Changthang depend heavily on seasonal tourism. Formal registration will allow them to access government support systems and operate with greater certainty,” he said, adding that similar measures should be extended across other underserved regions.
The development follows a representation submitted on March 30 by a delegation led by Yakzee, urging the administration to extend registration provisions across the wider Changthang plateau. The delegation had flagged that the absence of a formal regulatory mechanism had placed local residents under economic strain, limiting their access to institutional support, credit facilities and legal safeguards.
The representation also cited the recent approval permitting registration of tourist establishments within the Nubra–Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary, arguing that a comparable approach could be adopted in Changthang without compromising conservation imperatives. It maintained that regulated tourism would help reconcile environmental concerns with livelihood needs in remote border areas.
With the latest directive now extending to Nyoma alongside Durbuk, stakeholders view the move as the beginning of a broader process of regularising tourism infrastructure in Ladakh’s sensitive regions.
For the present, the administrative focus remains on ensuring full compliance on the ground. Whether this initiative evolves into a comprehensive policy framework covering other parts of eastern Ladakh will depend on how the Union Territory administration addresses similar demands emerging from across the Changthang region, where expectations of regulatory clarity continue to grow.
