The government of Sikkim has taken up steps to bring back tourists to the Himalayan state during winter after the sector was badly hit by booking cancellations in the wake of the October 4 flash flood in the Teesta.

On November 20, the state tourism and civil aviation department of Sikkim came up with an advisory, citing that all other parts of the state, barring some destinations in extreme north which in Mangan district which were badly floot-hit, were now ready to welcome tourists.

Because of the flash flood, Mangan, which has exotic destinations such as Lachen, Lachung, Yumthang and the Gurudongmar Lake, got affected. The district’s road
connectivity, which got snapped, was restored in a temporary manner through the installation of Bailey bridges by the Indian army and the Border Roads Organisation which functions under the Union defence ministry.

“All regions of Sikkim under different districts, viz, Gangtok, Namchi, Soreng, Pakyong and Gyalshing are safe to visit and the weather conditions in these areas are very soothing in this festive season,” reads the advisory.

In Sikkim, tourism is a major sector which employs over two lakh of the population.

The tiny state, which has a population of around seven lakh, has witnessed visits of over 16 lakh tourists in previous years.

To draw tourists to the state, the state tourism department has also said that Sikkim has featured on the list of the National Geographic in the coolest destinations to visit in 2024.

“During Durga Puja and Diwali holidays, there were massive cancellations of bookings from tourists because of the natural disaster (the October 4 flash flood). The industry had already taken a beating during the Covid-19 pandemic and had started reviving only since last year. The flash flood has come as a fresh setback for the sector in the Himalayan state,” said Raj Basu, a veteran in the tourism industry of east and northeast India.

Basu added that after the disaster, it was necessary to carry out an aggressive campaign to bring back tourists to Sikkim.

Samrat Sanyal, the general secretary of Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network, said they were hopeful that tourists would start visiting Sikkim again in winter.

He said that after the flash flood, it took time to restore connectivity along NH10 (the principal highway that connects Sikkim with the rest of the country) and several tourists cancelled trips as they didn’t want to take alternative routes.

“Vehicular movement has now started along NH 10 and it has been snowing in the upper reaches of Sikkim. We believe tourists will turn up in the winters. Those associated with the tourism industry in north Bengal are also promoting Sikkim as we believe Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Sikkim are an integrated circuit,” said Sanyal.