Domestic Tourists No Longer Need Inner Line Permits To Visit Protected Areas In Ladakh

In a big boost for the tourism sector in the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh, the administration has done away with the Inner Line Permit (ILP) which was needed by the Indian tourists and also for local residents to visit all the notified protected areas of the UT, reports Times of India.

Announcing the development, UT's Secretary for Tourism and Culture Mehboob Ali said that the ILP has lost its 'relevance'. The announcement was made on the sidelines of a three-day event organised by the Union Ministry for Tourism to promote Ladakh as a preferred tourism destination.

It should be noted though that foreign tourists will continue to need to apply for an ILP to visit protected areas. However, the validity of their ILP has been extended to 15 days from a seven-days-period earlier.

Ali shared that tourists will still need to pay an environmental fee, either online or in cash. He also added that the restrictions in visiting the border areas will also be slowly lifted other than in areas with border problems.