The advent of winter has brought good news to tourism stakeholders in Sikkim and north Bengal as hundreds of people are flocking to the mountain state that sits on the India-China border to enjoy snowfall and ice, especially in Mangan district.
After the glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in Sikkim in October last year, tourists stopped visiting Mangan, the sole district located in the north of Sikkim. Roads and bridges were washed away in the GLOF, isolating many tourist destinations.
Apart from the GLOF in October last year, recurring landslides during the monsoon worsened the situation and led to the prolonged closure of destinations like Lachen, Lachung and Yumthang in Mangan district.
In due course, roads and bridges were built and repaired to restore connectivity, and popular destinations like Lachen and Lachung were reopened for tourists on December 1.
North Sikkim, known for frequent snowfalls during the winter, is a favourite destination for domestic and international tourists.
“The natural disaster had hit hard the tourism sector in north Sikkim. As it started reviving, the political unrest in Bangladesh came as a fresh poser. Usually, hundreds of tourists from the neighbouring country visit Sikkim during winters but this year, they have not come because of the current situation,” said Debasish Chakraborty, general secretary, Eastern Himalaya Travel & Tour Operators’ Association.
However, as the winter season commenced, the high footfall of tourists in Sikkim, particularly in northern parts of the state, has brought smiles to the stakeholders.
According to sources, hundreds of tourists are reaching north Sikkim every year. For example, on Sunday, around 2,000 tourists reached the region, which is the highest daily footfall of tourists in the recent past.
“Altogether, 1,989 tourists reported visits to north Sikkim on Sunday. Around 300 vehicles took them to different locations. If this trend continues, it will surely help in the revival of tourism industry in north Sikkim,” said a source.
Lukendra Rasaily, the adviser to the Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS), said the footfall was likely to increase in the coming days.
“We are expecting more tourists during the Christmas Eve and New Year,” he said.
The trend is similar in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills and the Dooars.
“These days, the occupancy rate in hotels and homestays, both in the hills and the Dooars, is around 70 per cent and there are indications that it will increase to 90 per cent or so. We are expecting a good winter season as the turnout of tourists was comparatively low during Durga Puja and Diwali,” said Samrat Sanyal, the general secretary of Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network.