Centre to set up tourism office in Ladakh soon

On World Tourism Day, Ladakh will get a "dedicated office" which will work towards boosting the tourism sector in the region, said Culture and Tourism minister Prahlad Patel on Thursday.

The move is aimed at both revenue and employment generation in the area.

"The region which had often complained of a step-motherly treatment will soon get a dedicated tourism office. Tourism Ministry is working towards the target of ensuring that development does not lag behind in this area," Patel said.

He also informed ANI that several major projects will be launched in the coming months with an aim to make Ladakh an international tourist destination.

"The whole secretariat of the tourism department will shift to Leh from September 3 to September 6. A detailed list of projects that could be undertaken and will be completed in a specified time is getting prepared. Prime Minister is likely to announce these projects soon," Patel said while speaking to ANI.

"The region was neglected for so long. We are earmarking the areas where we can generate employment and boost cultural tourism. We have officers posted there for the time being. One of the areas we have identified is the training of guides in various languages. The inflow of foreign tourists will increase with trained guides with no language barriers. There should be a museum too. We are zeroing in on institutes of repute for this," he added.

Prahlad further said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had emphasised at the Parliament that the Centre will make all-out efforts to develop Ladakh.

The Minister also informed that after Ladakh, his ministry will shift its focus on Jammu and Kashmir.

"Normalcy will be restored in the Valley soon. We will be ready with our projects to showcase this beautiful region to the world and to the country. While everyone speaks about the beauty of Kashmir, there is a need to do more about it. Steady growth in tourism will boost employment. We are working on it," he said.