Ladakh records 4.60 lakh tourists till September, surpasses 2025 footfall

An official informed that the tourist arrivals during the first nine months of 2026 have already surpassed the total footfall recorded in the previous year by 37.16 per cent, reflecting Ladakh’s growing appeal as a destination for cultural experiences, adventure tourism, sporting events and its unique natural heritage, with three months still remaining in the current year.

Ladakh continues to witness impressive tourist footfall, with September 2026 recording 55,582 tourist arrivals, against 34,610 tourists in September 2025, marking a year-on-year increase of 60.60 per cent.

Ladakh received 2,78,599 tourists between January and September 2025, while the number rose to 4,60,667 during the same period in 2026, registering a substantial 65.38 per cent increase.

Tourist arrivals have risen across both domestic and foreign segments. During the first nine months of 2026, Ladakh welcomed 4,20,927 domestic tourists and 39,740 foreign tourists, compared to 3,03,838 domestic and 32,034 foreign tourists during the corresponding period in 2025. This represents growth of approximately 38.54 per cent in domestic tourist arrivals and 24.06 per cent in foreign tourist arrivals.

In the month of September 2026, domestic tourist arrivals rose from 29,888 to 49,188, while foreign tourist arrivals increased from 4,722 to 6,394 during the month.

LG Saxena emphasised the importance of promoting festivals and events to extend tourism beyond the traditional peak summer season. “Our aim is to encourage travel during shoulder and off-season periods, diversifying the tourism economy and creating more sustained livelihood opportunities for local residents. The administration’s focus is not limited to increasing visitor numbers, but also on ensuring that tourism growth translates into tangible benefits for local communities,” said Saxena.