Sikkim prepares well-ahead

Government of Sikkim has announced that 2022 will be ‘Visit Sikkim’ year, a declaration on year-long tourism promotion and marketing for the state, focusing on having tourists in Sikkim for the whole year.

Manas Dwivedi

The northeastern state of Sikkim offers more than one could imagine. From pilgrimage, village and adventure tourism to M!CE and heritage tourism while also being part of India’s Buddhist Circuit, Sikkim offers the traveller a peaceful getaway that may be on the bucket list of many as the norms of travel change in the post-COVID world.

Now, the Chief Minister of Sikkim, Prem Singh Golay has announced 2022 as ‘Visit Sikkim’ year for dedicated focus on promoting tourism in the state. Extending support to various tourism stakeholders who faced a tough time amidst the ill-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chief Minister asserted working with the state tourism department and the Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS) to chalk out a plan for the year-long tourism activities in 2022.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of ‘Capacity Building Training for Tourism Stakeholders of Sikkim’ in Gangtok, the Chief Minister also announced the commencement of flights from Pakyong airport from January 23.

“Since the unlocking phase, tourism in Sikkim is gradually picking pace, which is positive for the industry. The state government would help the tourism industry in every way possible. Also, a budget will be allocated for the promotion and marketing of Sikkim tourism in major cities of India,” he said. Golay also highlighted that the tourism industry should focus on rural tourism where tourists should visit and experience rural, agricultural and traditional Sikkim.

Lukendra Rasaily, Chairman, Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation (STDC), recounts that the pandemic severely impacted the tourism industry in the state and recovery is still a long way ahead. “The road is still not clear; the congregation of tourists cannot happen. The stakeholders have suffered a lot. We have been successful at curbing the pandemic from spreading, hence, people are looking to visit Sikkim. Therefore, the focus will be on quality tourism with required infrastructure being developed by 2022 with promotion of the state’s nature and culture on an international platform,” he says.

Norgay Lachungpa, President, Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS), appreciates the steps taken by the state government. He says, “This will be a grand event in 2022 for which both government and organisation will work together to frame a plan. It is an attempt at rebuilding the tourism sector with aggressive marketing of Sikkim tourism.”