SRINAGAR: Initiating major reforms in the Union territory, the government of Ladakh on Thursday announced to deregulate the hospitality sector, freeing it from old regulations and bureaucratic interference. Lieutenant governor VK Saxena said, “I have approved major reforms related to ease of doing business aimed at deregulating the hospitality sector, reducing compliance burden on stakeholders and creating a unified, streamlined, and citizen-friendly registration mechanism for tourism units.”The registration validity of tour operators has been increased from one year to five years, eliminating the need for renewal every year. Tour and travel operators engaged in adventure and mountaineering activities were earlier required to register separately as ‘adventure tour operators’ and ‘mountaineering tour operators’ at an additional registration fee of Rs 3,000 each. This has been done away with.A unified category under the nomenclature ‘travel agent’ has been introduced, which will authorise the registered entity to undertake all activities permitted under the Registration of Tourist Act.The number of documents required for registration of tour operators has been reduced significantly. The new framework also removes the requirement of a character certificate, a fixed bank balance and educational qualification to run a tour and travel agency.The existing process for homestay registration involves multiple procedural requirements and documentation, which often act as barriers to local participation. The new framework reduces the number of documents required, making the process simpler and more accessible, encouraging community-based tourism and creating livelihood opportunities for local residents.The LG said that the reforms, guided by PM Modi’s dictum of ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’, would create a safe and secure atmosphere for tourists, expand the tourism industry and contribute significantly to strengthening the local economy.
