Ladakh: 48-hour acclimatisation now mandatory for all tourists

You will now need to be extra cautious while planning a trip to Ladakh. As per the latest development, all those travelling to Ladakh will have to undergo mandatory 48 hours of acclimatisation in Leh before continuing their journey.

As per the reports, this move comes in the wake of preventing acute high altitude sickness among tourists, for which the Leh (Ladakh) administration has issued an order stating that tourists arriving in Leh will now have to undergo mandatory 48 hours of acclimatisation before commencing their journey in the cold desert region.
A meeting was called by Tashi Gyalson, Chairman cum Chief Executive Councillor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), which included officers and stakeholders of the tourism industry, and issues related to the tourism sector in Leh were discussed.

As Leh is situated at an elevation of 3500 m above sea level, the same can cause sickness among tourists arriving particularly by air; it’s worth mentioning that a number of tourists reaching Leh need to be hospitalised as they face mountain sickness.
The officials also discussed several issues in the meeting, which included the requirement for upgrading health facilities to deal with medical emergencies, especially at popular tourist hotspots located at higher altitudes in the district.

During the meeting, it was also discussed that all stakeholders will have to take compliance with various SOPs that will be formulated by the District Administration with regard to the management of visitors entering Leh during peak season, and monitoring their medical conditions strictly.

CEC Gyalson further instructed all the concerned officials and stakeholders to initiate joint awareness camps and IEC campaigns to spread awareness among locals engaged in the tourism industry.