Archive · 20 Aug 2026
US Ambassador Sergio Gor Makes Maiden Ladakh Visit
US Ambassador Sergio Gor made his first visit to Ladakh.
He went rafting on the Zanskar and Indus rivers.
He also visited Srinagar and met Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Gor said Jammu and Kashmir is an important part of India.
He praised the region’s beauty.
He said the US may review its travel warnings if safety continues to improve.
The visit highlighted Ladakh’s mountains, rivers, and culture.
Ladakh has been attracting many tourists.
More than 3.3 lakh tourists visited between January and July this year.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor visited Ladakh for the first time since taking office.
Gor went river rafting from Tsogti to Sangam at the confluence of the Zanskar and Indus rivers.
Before reaching Leh, he visited Srinagar and met Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Gor called Jammu and Kashmir an important part of India and said the US may reconsider travel advisories.
Ladakh recorded 3,30,332 tourist arrivals from January through July, nearing its full-year 2025 total.
- Who
- US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
- What
- Gor made his maiden visit to Ladakh, including a river-rafting activity, after meeting Abdullah in Srinagar.
- When
- He arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday and undertook the rafting activity in Ladakh on Thursday; the articles do not specify calendar dates.
- Where
- Srinagar and Leh, including the Tsogti-to-Sangam stretch at the confluence of the Zanskar and Indus rivers.
- Why
- The visit focused on experiencing Ladakh’s landscape and cultural heritage and came amid rising interest in its tourism potential; Gor also discussed possible changes to US travel advisories for Jammu and Kashmir.
- Visitor
- Sergio Gor, US Ambassador to India
- First Ladakh visit
- The trip was Gor’s maiden tour of Ladakh since assuming office.
- Rafting route
- Several kilometres from Tsogti to Sangam
- Rivers
- Zanskar and Indus
- Tourist arrivals
- 3,30,332 visitors from January to July this year
- 2025 comparison
- The January-to-July total reached 98.35% of the 3,35,872 tourists recorded during all of 2025.
- June-July arrivals
- More than 2.12 lakh tourists visited during June and July, nearly 65% of arrivals through the first week of August.