The 9.02-km Atal Tunnel, the longest in the world above 10,000 feet, has opened up new tourism opportunities for the people of Lahaul and Spiti Valley as well as Ladakh.  

Every day, about 4,000 vehicles go via the tunnel that cuts through the mountain to bypass the 13,058-ft-high Rohtang Pass. This roughly translates to about 16,000 visitors every day — more than 50 per cent of the total population of the district (31,564).  

Before the tunnel was inaugurated, only about 2,000 people used to cross over to Lahaul and Spiti via Rohtang Pass every month