Leh, Ladakh — What was meant to be a season of revival for Ladakh’s tourism industry has turned into a heartbreaking halt. Bookings are being cancelled. Travellers are confined to their hotel rooms. Streets once filled with adventure-seekers are now silent under the shadow of curfew. And for the people of Leh, a region that thrives on hospitality, this silence is deafening.
The trigger? A violent episode during a shutdown protest on September 24, part of the ongoing agitation led by the Leh Apex Body demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh. The unrest resulted in the tragic loss of four lives and injuries to over 150 people. Since then, Leh has been under indefinite curfew, with only brief four-hour relaxations allowed on rare occasions. Mobile internet remains suspended.
This isn’t just a law-and-order issue — it’s a deep wound for the region’s economy. Tourism is Ladakh’s heartbeat. And right now, it’s barely beating.
“We’re seeing cancellations every single day,” says Naseeb Singh, a hotel manager with nearly a decade of experience in Leh. “Guests are leaving. New ones aren’t coming. The shops are shut, supplies are running low. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
The region was already struggling to bounce back after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which led to widespread travel anxieties. While the incident occurred far away in another Union Territory, its aftershocks were deeply felt in Ladakh. “Even though we’re not Jammu and Kashmir, tourists see the whole region as one,” said Rigzin Dorjey, a local transporter. “Operation Sindoor gave us some hope. But now we’re back to square one.”
For the thousands of families who rely on tourism — hoteliers, transporters, shopkeepers, guides — this disruption is more than an inconvenience. It’s existential.
A hotelier, requesting anonymity, put it bluntly: “No tourists, no income. It’s that simple. Every day of uncertainty is a day of struggle.”
Tourists who did manage to arrive found themselves trapped indoors, cut off from the very experiences they came to enjoy.
Sheena, a visitor from Taiwan, said: “I wanted to see Pangong Lake, explore the monasteries, taste the culture. Instead, I’m stuck in a hotel room, unable to exchange currency or buy essentials.”
Arpana Dass, who flew in from Delhi, echoed the sentiment. “Markets are shut, there’s no internet, and we can’t even step out to explore. It’s disappointing.”
Shruti, another traveller, added, “Ladakh is known for its warmth and breathtaking beauty. But all we’ve seen are closed shutters and police checkpoints.”
A local police official defended the curfew, calling it a necessary step to avoid further unrest. Still, even they hope that peace will return — sooner rather than later.
