New Delhi, Aug 26 (IANS): To promote Ladakh as a tourist destination with focus on adventure and culture, a three-day tourism event -- ‘Ladakh: New Start, New Goals -- will commence from Thursday in Leh, the Union Tourism Ministry said on Wednesday.
The Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Radha Krishna Mathur, and Union Minister for Tourism and Culture, G. Kishan Reddy, will address the event being organised from August 26-28. Reddy will virtually address the event, which will also be attended by Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal.
The objective of the event is to promote Ladakh as a tourist destination with focus on aspects of adventure, culture and responsible tourism. The event aims to provide indigenous product knowledge to the industry stakeholders and also a platform to local stakeholders for interaction with the tour operators from the rest of the country.
The three-day event will include activities like exhibition, panel discussions, B2B meetings, technical tours and cultural evenings to showcase the tourism facilities and products of Ladakh.
During the event, ‘A Tourism Vision for Ladakh' document would be unveiled which focuses on the overall development of the region. The document envisions promoting tourism in the backdrop of sustainable ecological practices, building on local materials and human resources.
The Ministry of Tourism is organising the three-day event in collaboration with Ladakh's department of tourism and the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI).
In a statement, the ministry said, "Domestic tourism plays an important role in the overall development of the tourism sector in India. The ministry undertakes various promotional activities for the promotion of domestic tourism and these activities are primarily aimed at increasing awareness about tourism destinations and products, promoting domestic tourism with focus on priority areas like the Northeast, Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir.
"The ministry has been promoting Ladakh in domestic as well as international markets through various campaigns and initiatives such as ‘Dekho Apna Desh' wherein a dedicated webinar on Ladakh was conducted. Promotion of Ladakh is also undertaken through the 'Incredible India' website, social media platforms of the ministry etc."