Our objective is to ensure that industry status translates into real opportunities for every tourism stakeholder in Ladakh.: Rigzin W. Lachic
LEH: Calling for the policy recognition of tourism to be matched with administrative action, the All Ladakh Hotel and Guest House Association (ALHGHA) on Tuesday urged the Union Territory Administration to introduce regulatory reforms, targeted incentives and institutional support for the hospitality sector, submitting a comprehensive memorandum to Administrative Secretary Himanshu Gupta, IAS.
The memorandum was presented during a meeting with Gupta, who heads the Department of Industries and Commerce and the Ladakh Power Development Department (LPDD), with the association asserting that tourism, now recognised as an industry in Ladakh, requires an enabling policy framework to translate the decision into measurable economic gains.
The delegation identified the temporary waiver of the Land Conversion Certificate (LCC) requirement as its foremost demand, stating that the Revenue Department has yet to notify a mechanism for issuing the certificate. According to the association, the resulting administrative vacuum has stalled subsidy applications from tourism enterprises, placing eligible businesses at risk of missing benefits available under the existing industrial policy.
ALHGHA also proposed a series of amendments to the Commercial Solar Rooftop Scheme, including enhanced financial assistance, extension of incentives to non-Domestic Content Requirement (non-DCR) solar modules, improved infrastructure for remote regions such as Nubra, Zanskar and Changthang, and changes to the net-metering framework to allow surplus electricity credits to be carried forward beyond the current financial year. It maintained that the proposed measures would improve the financial viability of renewable energy adoption within the hospitality sector.
Seeking to reinforce tourism’s newly acquired industry status, the association further recommended incentives for sewage treatment plants and other environmental infrastructure, support for green investments, destination marketing initiatives and the inclusion of tourism enterprises in future industrial incentive programmes. It argued that these measures would strengthen the sector’s competitiveness while promoting environmentally responsible tourism.
Welcoming the Administrative Secretary to Ladakh, the delegation also expressed gratitude to the Administration for according industry status to tourism, describing the decision as a policy milestone capable of expanding institutional support for one of the Union Territory’s largest employment-generating sectors.
ALHGHA President Rigzin Wangmo Lachic said the association’s recommendations were intended to ensure that the policy decision delivers tangible benefits on the ground.
“The recognition of tourism as an industry is an encouraging step, but its real value will be realised only when it is supported by practical policy reforms, streamlined procedures and meaningful incentives. Our objective is to create an ecosystem that promotes sustainable tourism, encourages green investments and strengthens livelihoods while preserving Ladakh’s fragile environment and unique cultural heritage,” Lachic said.
According to the association, Gupta gave a patient hearing to the issues raised and assured the delegation that the proposals would be examined. ALHGHA expressed confidence that continued engagement with the Administration would help convert tourism’s industry status into meaningful policy support for the hospitality sector and the wider economy of Ladakh.
