The Sikkim tourism and civil aviation department on Friday started issuing tourist permits for visiting Lachen in Mangan district after the destination had been shut since December 10 following a landslide.

Lachen is a tiny hamlet with around 1,000 people. The village is located 130km from Gangtok at an elevation of around 8,800ft.

One of the favourite spots for tourists visiting Sikkim, Lachen is known for its breathtaking landscape that is covered by snow during the winter. It is also the gateway to destinations like the Gurudongmar Lake and the Tso Lhamu Lake which are located at heights of 17,100ft and 16,700 ft, respectively.

Lachen is considered a starting point for trekking in the Khangchendzonga National Park and the famous Green Lake trail.

“It is a major development. Now, we can say that the entire state of Sikkim is open for tourists after the glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) that occurred in October last year. We can now offer the entire north Sikkim package to tourists,” said Samrat Sanyal, general secretary of the Himalayan Hospitality & Tourism Development Network (HHTDN).

The flash flood had caused extensive damage in Mangan district, wiping off roads and sweeping away bridges. The state government, along with the Border Roads Organisation that functions under the defence ministry, took the task of restoring roads in the district, including those linking tourist spots like Lachen and Lachung.

Earlier this month, as Lachung reopened for tourists, there was an unprecedented rush of tourists with over 2,500 tourists reaching the area on a single day to enjoy snowfall and the ice-laden landscape.

Lachen, too, opened on December 10 but because of a sudden landslide, it again closed down to tourists.

“The debris had been cleared and from today (Friday), the state started issuing permits for Lachen and spots like the Gurudongmar Lake. This will boost the tourism industry and we hope more visitors will reach north Sikkim during the winters,” said Lukendra Rasaily, advisor to the Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS).

A hotelier based in Siliguri said Lachen boasted around 130 hotels. “The hotel owners in Lachen were facing losses as the movement of tourists had stopped after the GLOF. We hope they will not have the opportunity to recover the losses,” he said.