A three-member team from Switzerland will arrive in Sikkim in the first week of February to explore new avenues for traveling in this tiny eastern Himalayan State. They are coming on the invitation of Sikkim Government to study the feasibility of creating tourist attractions in the untapped areas. The team will make effort for propagating Sikkim as a tourist destination in the western nations.

The State has already attracted worldwide attention for being most green, almost crime free and a beauty of natural resources. Every year lakhs of domestic travelers and thousands of foreigners flock this landlocked State, situated between China, Nepal and Bhutan.

Sikkim is the home of endangered Red Panda. Tsango Lake, situated above 12000 ft in east Sikkim and Nathula, bordering China at about 14000 feet is some of the major attractions. Yumthang in north Sikkim and Peling in the west are also some of the preferred holiday destinations. Apart from this, Sikkim is also mountaineers delight having many wonderful trekking and climbing routes. Seeing its own potential, Sikkim has already opened its doors to tourists in various spheres like cultural, mountaineering, pilgrimage and adventure tourism. The similarity in natural beauty with mighty mountain ranges, lakes and other physical beauty in Sikkim and Switzerland may strike a chord with the visiting team. Travel experts from Switzerland are basically coming down as the State Government is making all out efforts to develop more attractive tourist spots. The visitor will meet the Chief Minister and Tourism Minister.

Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has plans to transform the State in to a favoured tourist destination in the east like Switzerland in the west. Sikkim has now begun laying emphasis on quality tourism instead of quantity tourism. The State Government with the tourism department in the frontline has started collaborating with two premier tour operating agencies TAAS (Travel Agents Association of Sikkim) and SAATO (Sikkim Association of Adventure Tour Operations) to promote quality tourism. Tour operators feel that in this regard interaction with the team from Switzerland will be helpful.

Recently Pawan Chamling went on a tour of south-east Asian countries. He took the opportunity to promote Sikkim as a tourist destination and highlight its strength in adventure and Buddhist circuit tourism. In his meeting with Singapore minister for national development Hen Che How, Mr. Chamling apprised Sikkim’s strategic location in the North-East and the existence of a monastery in each village of Sikkim – underlining that the practice of Buddhism as not only a religion but as a culture in the Sikkimese society. He also informed about the participation of the Sikkimese people in organic farming. 

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