S ikkim is raring to go and there is no two ways about it. Be it inbound, outbound or domestic - every segment of tourism has witnessed quick changes especially in the last five years. Today tourism departments across the india are eyeing the Sikkim tourism potential in view of Nathula potentialand it is being regarded to be the golden goose especially for international tourism boards if India and China Tourism takes off.Sikkim is one of the fastest growing tourist economy where tourism has grown at a whopping rate in the past four years.
According to a recent PATA report, a strong, consumption-driven economy, a large and increasingly affluent middle class, and the on-going proposed sikkim airport at Pakyong will contribute to a 10 per cent annual growth in sikkim Inbound travellers over the next three years from Airport Opening.
In 2006, international inbound travel to India peaked at a record 4.4 million arrivals, driven in large part by the successful re-positioning of the destination brand through the Incredible India marketing campaign. The report also confirms that India's domestic travel market has been booming steadily over the past 15 years, as Indian states increasingly awaken to the potential of home-grown tourism to stimulate economic growth and boost employment. Domestic trips reached an all-time high of 430 million in 2006, up 13 per cent on 2005. The average annual growth rate has been more than 10 per cent since 2000, with the boom in low cost carriers bringing travel within the price range of millions of more households across the sub-continent.Adds James Murray, executive vice president, South and Southeast Asia, Visa International Asia Pacific, "India is a significant pillar to global tourism, both as an inbound destination and a rich source of visitors to many global destinations. International visitors to India spent Rs 60 billion (US$ 1.4 billion) in India between July 2005 and June 2006 on their Visa cards, with cardholders from the European Union emerging as the biggest spenders."
Indian state boards are formulating policies and programmes to set the house right to cater to the growing demand of inbound tourism. Sikkim also continue to expand and explore its tourism centric policy for its economy.
Today no doubt there is a shortage in hotel demand and supply wherein the demand for additional rooms in five years will be between 1,40,000 - 1,50,000 rooms, but the additional supply will be between 60,000 - 70,000 only. To bridge this gap, a number of measures have been planned by the government, including creation of land banks and freeing land supply. Creation of accommodation hubs at airports is another avenue to increase room supply. According to a senior official from the ministry of tourism, Government of India, the 5 Cs that the government is taking cognizance of to provide effective solutions for growth and to attract investment are - Civil Aviation, Civic Governance, Capital Building, Communication Strategy and Convergence (with particular stress on private-public partnership). Taking these into consideration, India will surely develop into an Incredible tourist destination and tourism-centric economy.
Further up north-east is the tiny state of Sikkim studded with monasteries and criss-crossed with trekking trails. It is also home to the mighty Kanchenjunga, one of the five highest peaks in the world. The capital city of Gangtok is a not-so-remote Shangri-La. Here one can go on quiet walks, drop in on mountain top monasteries or laze around in the city's Deer Park. Rumtek, Pemayangtse, Mangan, Singhick… there is a lyrical ring to the names of the quaint little towns that dot this mountain state.
Indeed, Sikkim is part of the popular Darjeeling and Kalimpong tourist circuit in the far northern reaches of West Bengal. In these parts one can ride a World Heritage Site in the form of the Darjeeling toy train and stroll through its world famous tea gardens.
Sikkim offers many potential activities such as Trekking, nature camps, biodiversity trails, adventure sports, boating and river rafting, angling, study tours (botanisation), birding and most of all 100% stress-free holiday destination.
