SRINAGAR: The Union Territory of Ladakh recorded a tourist footfall of 4,05,085 in the first eight months of 2026, compared with 2,69,390 tourists who visited the region during the corresponding period last year.
“In the whole of 2025, a total of 3,35,872 tourists visited Ladakh,” an official said, adding that the tourist footfall in the first eight months of 2026 has already surpassed the total figure for 2025 by 20.61 per cent.
According to official figures, Ladakh received 2,69,390 tourists between January and August 2025, compared with 4,05,085 during the same period this year, recording a substantial increase of 50.37 per cent.
The tourist footfall in August 2026 also witnessed a sharp rise. “As compared to the tourist footfall of 45,201 in August 2025, the number increased to 74,753 in August 2026, marking a jump of 65.38 per cent,” the official said.
There has been a surge in the number of both domestic and foreign tourists visiting Ladakh this year.
“During the first eight months of 2026, Ladakh received 3,71,739 domestic tourists and 33,346 foreign tourists, compared with 2,44,308 domestic and 25,082 foreign tourists during the corresponding period in 2025,” official statistics revealed.
August 2026 witnessed the highest foreign tourist footfall recorded in any month so far this year, with 10,075 foreign tourists visiting Ladakh. The figure was considerably higher than the 8,148 foreign tourists recorded in August 2025.
According to officials, major festivals held in August, including the Changthang Nomadic Festival, the first-ever Black-necked Crane Festival, the Suru Summer Festival and the Ladakh Book Festival, added new attractions to Ladakh’s tourism calendar, drawing visitors in large numbers.
The first edition of the Black-necked Crane Festival saw the participation of more than 10,000 domestic and foreign travellers, the official said. “These festivals showcase the Ladakh region’s unique culture, nomadic traditions, wildlife and natural heritage.”
Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena attributed the significant growth in tourism to the Centre’s sustained push for infrastructure development in the Union Territory, as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to citizens to visit tourist destinations in India and promote domestic tourism.
He said Ladakh crossing its entire 2025 tourist footfall in just eight months of this year was “a very encouraging sign”.
“Our focus, however, is not merely on increasing tourist numbers, but on building a sustainable, responsible and year-round tourism economy that benefits our people,” he said. “Festivals, sporting events and cultural programmes are helping us expand the tourism calendar beyond the traditional summer season and bringing visitors to Ladakh during the shoulder and off-seasons. This creates more sustained livelihood opportunities for our youth, entrepreneurs, homestays, artisans, transporters and local communities.”
According to officials, Ladakh’s tourism calendar remains active in September as well, with a series of major events lined up, including Ladakh Bike Week, the Ladakh Festival, the Zanskar Festival and the Ladakh Marathon.
Officials said the growth in tourism assumes greater significance as it coincides with a major and rapid transformation in Ladakh’s connectivity infrastructure since the formation of the Union Territory.
Nearly 55 per cent of tourists visiting Ladakh are arriving by road, officials said. “Of these, nearly 36 per cent enter Ladakh through the Kashmir route, while 19 per cent arrive through the Manali route.”
The surge in tourist inflow has also contributed to a significant increase in homestays in Ladakh. Their number has risen from 128 in 2019 to 2,275 in 2026, creating new livelihood opportunities for local households.
