Tension in Ladakh may weigh heavy on tourism

MANALI: Even as the Covid-19 pandemic has already hit the tourism business across the country, the ongoing tension between India and China is likely to further affect the remaining tourism season in Ladakh, Manali and Lahaul-Spiti.
The tourism season in Ladakh and Lahaul-Spiti is limited to summer, monsoon and autumn seasons, while the movement of tourists in Manali is also seasonal. Tourism in these three hill stations is interconnected due to various reasons. At a time when hotels at some places had just started opening and tourism was expected to come back on track in the next couple of months, going by the past experiences, war-like situation at border is likely to affect the tourism activities.
"Last year, tourist arrival in Ladakh was very less due to turmoil in Kashmir. Since March this year, we have seen thousands of cancellations due to Covid-19 concerns. Now, if tension between India and China continues to mount, it will certainly put a long-term impact on tourism," a tour operator from Leh, Tashi Tsering, said.
All hotels, guest houses and homestays in Lahaul are mostly dependent on tourists who travel between Manali and Ladakh. Jai Lal, who runs hotel in Jispa in Lahaul, remembers how hotels were mostly empty after tension in Kashmir last year.
"Our tourism is interlinked. We are dependent on each other. Lahaul is used as midway halt by tourists. Similar to Ladakh, hotels here remain functional from May till mid-October. Tourists are very much concerned about their safety. Nobody would like to go to a warzone. No tourist in Ladakh means empty hotels in Lahaul valley. We are praying for peace between the two countries," he added.
Majority of tourists like to visit Ladakh via Manali-Leh highway. This way, both Ladakh and Manali are dependent on each other. This not only gives business to hotels but also job to hundreds of taxi operators from both regions. Spiti valley, which also shares border with China, and where security has been beefed up, also shares tourists with Ladakh, Lahaul and Manali.
The interconnected tourist rush in these places remains more between June and September. Even if Covid-19 is not a bar in tourism in the next few weeks, the tension at border, if not over soon, may badly hit the tourism sector in the state.
Ladakh administration also seals many areas for tourists, including Pangong-Chushul sector, Hanley, Dha-Hanu and Batalik and areas beyond Panamik, in case of tension between both countries.