Ladakh now has a host of 63 professional Adventure and Cultural Tourist (Act) guides to familiarise visitors with the landscape, heritage and culture of the place, a popular destination for foreign tourists.

The decision to train the boys and girls was the result of a policy decision aimed at revamping the tourism industry in Jammu and Kashmir, Deputy Director of Tourism (J&K) Urgain Loondup said.

"Ladakh has 63 male and female act guides to promote, propagate and highlight the heritage, landscape, adventure and culture of the frontier region, which attracts a high number of foreign tourists every year," Loondup told PTI.

The boys and girls underwent two weeks of rigorous training and then given licenses, Loondup said adding that there would be more such guides in the future.

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Up to May 2004, 4,387 tourists had visited Leh and 4,244 the Ladakh region.