SIKKIM BEAMS WITH POSITIVITY TOWARDS TOURISM NET

The year 2020, was a bad year for the North Eastern states which earns a major portion of the state’s revenue from tourism, and likewise Sikkim is no different. Sikkim, which is a major tourism destination for both domestic and international travelers, suffered a lot as the state lost revenue and also many people lost jobs and their livelihood due to the impact of Covid-19 and subsequently lockdown.

But now with the tourism season back, the state is hopeful of a good season and a good possibility to bounce back. According to data from the Sikkim government, as much as 15% of the state’s population is directly or indirectly relying on the tourism industry to sustain, and keeping this in mind it was very important for Sikkim to reopen tourism.

With its picturesque landscape, Sikkim is one of the most sought after tourism destination across the country.

Till the month of November, Sikkim had recorded 3,279 COVID-19 cases with 2,640 recoveries and 54 deaths.

With the tourism season back to its peak, both the Sikkim state government and the tourism entrepreneurs in the state are looking forward to a good and productive season, and are hopeful of a good turnout of tourists in the season.

There is no official data available on the number of tourist footfall, but the tourism stakeholders estimate that on an average anywhere between 1,000 and 1,500 tourists have been arriving in the Himalayan state daily.

According to official data, over 16 lakh tourists, including about 1.40 lakh foreigners, had visited the state last year.