Sikkim records 4.5 lakh domestic and 25, 000 foreign tourist footfall in 2008

Gangtok, Feb 27: Even as Sikkim has bagged a national award for tourism as the Best State for tourism related programmes on Tuesday, this Himalayan State has also recorded a phenomenal growth in terms of flow of tourists in 2008.

Sikkim bagged the annual award as the Best State for tourism related programmes from the Union ministry of tourism on February 24.

The award was received by the State tourism secretary SBS Bhadauria from Union Home minister P Chidambaram in the presence of Union Tourism minister Ambika Soni at the awards function held in New Delhi.

Speaking to media here today, Mr. Bhadauria said that this was the 14th major award won by Sikkim in the field of tourism in the last decade and it was the dedication and enthusiasm of the State government that had been instrumental in achieving the goals. “The award proves Sikkim has been firmly placed in the global tourism scene and we have created our own brand called Sikkim”, he said.

The secretary said that some 4.5 lakh domestic tourists and 23,000 foreign tourists visited the state in 2008. He said this was about 25 per cent increase from that of the previous year. In the previous year some 3.8 domestic tourists and 18,000 foreigners had visited Sikkim.

Despite the bandhs and the disturbances in the neighbouring regions, this was a record for the state, Mr. Bhadauria said. He also said that as per the analysis, the quality of tourism had also increased manifolds and there was now ‘no off-season’ with visitors coming to the State throughout the year.

The secretary claimed that Sikkim today was the most sought after destination for domestic as well as foreign tourists coming to the country and had made significant presence in the tourism map. The destinations and infrastructure have been developed to a great extent within a short period of time making Sikkim greatly attractive to the visitors, he added.

Mr. Bhadauria informed that a State tourism policy was in the final stages of preparation and the final policy would be put forward to the government in the first quarter of the coming fiscal year. The draft tourism policy would comprise of a normal tourism policy for the state and a separate tourism policy for village tourism. “The tourism in the state is moving and progressing in a cautious manner so that there are no ills associated, he said.

It is to be mentioned here that Sikkim has bagged the best tourism performing State in the North east for six consecutive years in the past from the union ministry.

Recently Sikkim have also bagged the best eco-tourism destination, most picturesque destination, best community based tourism, emerging tourism state, best tourism state for adventure from reputed organizations at the national level.