KL Report
SRINAGAR
Attributing “Indo-China face off” as a reason for the abrupt decline in tourist influx in Ladakh region, Government Friday said that only 1.20 lakh tourists visited Ladakh upto August end as against 1.25 lakh in 2012.
In a written reply to a question by MLA Nobra valley, T Namgyal, in Legislative Assembly that the tourist flow has considerably declined in Leh District, the government said certain apprehensions about the prevailing atmosphere in the peak season may also have attributed to the decline.
“1.58 lakh tourists both foreign and domestic have visited Leh District during 2013 till the end of September,” Minister In-charge Tourism department informed the house in a written statement.
The statement also reads that the sudden spurt in airfare and curtailment in daily flights may also be the reason as to why the Ladakh witnessed lesser tourist influx this year.
“Upto August end 1.20 lakh tourists visited Ladakh in 2013 as against 1.25 lakh for the same period during 2012,” reads the statement.
Regarding the total number of tourists registered in last three years in the state, the statement read” in Kashmir total of 33.62 lakh tourist visited Kashmir valley form 2010 to 2012 with 7.36 lakh in 2010, 13.14 in 2011 and 13.12 lakh in 2012,”
In Ladakh only 4.35 lakh tourists visited the region with 0.77 in 2010, 1.79 in 2011 and 1.79 lakh in 2012.
According to the figures 310.73 lakh pilgrims have visited the Hindu shrines including Mata Vaishno Devi temple and Amarnath cave form 2010 to 2012.
In 2010, 87.49 lakh yatris visited Mata Vaishno Devi temple followed by 101.16 in 2011 and 104.95 in 2012, while 4.58 pilgrims visited Amarnath cave in 2010 followed by 6.34 in 2011 and 6.21 lakh in 2012.
