Beyond Beautiful Landscapes: Are We Prepared for Responsible Tourism in Spiti Valley?

A few days ago, I received a call from an old friend. His voice carried concern. His brother-in-law, Mr. Saurabh Jha, along with three friends, was travelling through Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh and was facing a situation that no traveller expects during a holiday.

As someone associated with the tourism sector and deeply connected to Himachal Pradesh, my immediate instinct was to help. I spoke to Saurabh to understand the situation and tried to explore possible alternatives through my own network. However, the remoteness of the region, limited accommodation options, and the timing of the calls made immediate intervention extremely challenging.

Fortunately, with the support of local residents and community stakeholders, the group was eventually able to reorganise their journey and continue exploring the beautiful landscapes of Spiti Valley.While speaking to Saurabh over the following days, I realised that this was not merely a story about unpleasant travel experience. It raised broader questions about tourist safety, accountability, carrying capacity, and preparedness in remote destinations that are witnessing a significant increase in visitor numbers.

With Saurabh's consent, I am sharing his experience below. The intention is not to criticise any individual or organisation, but to encourage constructive discussions around responsible tourism practices and the systems required to support travellers in ecologically sensitive and geographically challenging destinations such as Spiti Valley.

The following account is based on Saurabh's own experience and has been reviewed by him prior to publication.

A few days ago, I found myself in a situation that no traveller hopes to experience during a holiday.

Along with three friends, I was travelling through Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh. The trip had been booked through a travel company, and specific accommodations and services had been confirmed before our departure. However, from the very beginning of the journey, the reality on the ground appeared to be quite different from what had been promised.

On the first day, we reached Shimla. We were promised that a tour guide will be attending us to take us to chiktul in temp traveller. But no one was there. They took 2 hours to get us connected with the tour guide.We all travellers only coordinated to move ahead alone. Later on the tour guide joined in Narkunda We reached Chitkul late at night. Upon arrival, we were informed that the accommodation originally confirmed for us was not available and that the only option was an alternative stay. The accommodation provided consisted of tents which, in our opinion, were not suitable for the prevailing weather conditions. With temperatures around minus two degrees Celsius and inadequate heating arrangements, the experience was far from what had been expected. The Swiss tent was not properly fixed, because of which cold wind was coming inside continuously whole night.

The following day, we encountered similar challenges at our next destination in nako. Once again, the accommodation provided did not match what had been communicated during the booking process. It was unregistered home where the owner has allowed to stay.There was a common washroom outside our room This At this stage, concern began to replace excitement.

As the journey progressed, we repeatedly tried to contact the representatives of the travel company. Initially, we attempted to coordinate with the designated tour leader. Unfortunately, the responses received were neither satisfactory nor solution-oriented. We then tried reaching out to the operations team, hoping that they would intervene and resolve the situation. However, despite multiple attempts, meaningful support was not forthcoming. Still we relied on the tour company and reached Kaza.

The accommodation was the same type here as well. The room was on the 2nd floor and the washroom was common on the ground floor. Tour guide was helpless. When we tried to reach operation head, he forced us to accommodate in their arrangements Eventually, we reached a point where we realised that continuing to argue or seek explanations would only consume more of our holiday time and add to our frustration. We decided to stop pursuing the matter and instead focus on finding practical solutions ourselves.

While searching for accommodation, we met a local resident who understood our predicament and extended his support. Through his guidance and assistance, we were able to secure a much better place to stay for the night.

The next morning, determined not to let the remainder of the trip be ruined, we approached the local taxi union. We discussed our concerns, reviewed our upcoming itinerary, and arranged independent transportation for the remaining part of the journey. Taking control of the situation ourselves gave us confidence that the rest of the trip could proceed more smoothly.

Although the immediate issues were eventually addressed, the experience left us with several important questions.

Spiti Valley is not a conventional tourist destination. It is a high-altitude cold desert characterised by difficult terrain, limited infrastructure, extreme weather conditions, and restricted access to emergency services. Travelling in such regions requires meticulous planning and responsible execution.

What happens when confirmed accommodations are not actually available?

What happens if travellers are left stranded in remote locations late in the evening?

What happens if someone develops altitude-related complications or faces a medical emergency?

What happens when families, women travellers, senior citizens, or first-time visitors find themselves in vulnerable situations without immediate support?

And perhaps the most important question of all: who takes responsibility when things go wrong?

This is not merely about one group’s unpleasant experience. It is about recognising the challenges that accompany the growing popularity of destinations like Spiti Valley.

Over the past few years, tourist arrivals in the region have increased significantly. While this growth has undoubtedly benefited local communities and businesses, it also raises important questions regarding carrying capacity and destination preparedness.

Are there adequate systems in place to ensure that accommodation and travel commitments made to tourists are genuine and verifiable?

Should there be dedicated tourist assistance mechanisms in remote destinations to support travellers during emergencies?

Do we need stronger coordination between travel operators, local stakeholders, and authorities to ensure that visitor safety is never compromised?

Should there be periodic assessments of carrying capacity to prevent tourism infrastructure from becoming overwhelmed?

These questions deserve thoughtful discussion.

Despite the challenges we faced, this experience also reminded us of the kindness and hospitality of the people of Himachal Pradesh. It was the support of local individuals and community stakeholders that ultimately helped us regain confidence and continue our journey smoothly in the remote location of komik,kibber and chandratal.

The purpose of sharing this experience is not to discourage tourism in Spiti Valley. On the contrary, Spiti remains one of the most beautiful,unique and dream destinations in the world. However, as tourism continues to expand into ecologically sensitive and geographically challenging regions, preparedness and accountability must grow alongside it.

Responsible tourism cannot focus solely on increasing visitor numbers. It must also prioritise visitor safety, ethical business practices, realistic planning, and effective support systems.

Only then can destinations like Spiti Valley continue to offer experiences that are memorable for all the right reasons.
_______________________________________________

As tourism professionals, policymakers, local communities, and travellers, we all share a collective responsibility to ensure that tourism growth does not come at the cost of visitor safety and destination integrity.

Spiti Valley remains one of the most extraordinary places to visit, and the purpose of sharing this experience is not to discourage travel, but to encourage dialogue. If experiences such as these can help strengthen systems, improve accountability, and enhance preparedness in remote destinations, then perhaps they can contribute positively towards the future of tourism in Himachal Pradesh.

— Dr. Naveen Gupta