Sikkim CM’s Tourism push at Namchi Fair

Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling on Thursday stressed on the need to develop alternative tourism circuits like Ecotourism, Organic Tourism, Homestays, Village Tourism and Religious Pilgrimages in Sikkim. The CM was speaking at the inauguration of the three-day Namchi Mahatsov at the Bhaichung Bhutia Stadium.

Sikkim has already bagged the top spot among the North-Eastern states in terms of tourist count. In 2009, maximum foreign tourists among all the NE states came to Sikkim. The domestic tourist count has crossed seven lakh tourists this year. The State has targeted nine lakhs domestic tourists and thirty five thousand foreign tourists by 2012.

Chamling pointed out that Namchi was rapidly becoming an international tourist hot spot with the development of the Char-Dham, where there are replicas of all the four Dham temples apart from 12 Jyotirlinga and a 116 ft Sankar Chagwan statue. The religion complex will be ready by next march. At Ravangla - 22 km from Namchi – a 125 ft Buddha statue is almost complete apart from the renovation of the old monastery. Both places are accepted to attract deluge of Hindus and Buddhists tourists.

Chamling also spoke about the airport at Pakyong near Gangtok, which he had discussed with officers of the Union Civil Aviation Ministry. Airport Authority of India is already building an Airport there, but Chamling wants a bigger facility where even Boeings can land. For this, the Govt. is also ready to give more land.

Courtesy : The Times of India