2010-11 YEAR OF TOURISM IN SIKKIM

DRAFT PLAN FOR ‘YEAR OF TOURISM 2010’ PREPARED
Thirteen tourism festivals proposed in 2010-11

Staff Reporter
GANGTOK, June 23: A tentative blueprint has been charted by the Sikkim Tourism Department to have year round activities for its most ambitious project, ‘2010 – Year of Tourism’.
Thirteen tourism festivals have been proposed in the draft plan during 2010 and upto February 2011.
The State Government has already declared last year that the year 2010 will be celebrated as the ‘Year of Tourism’ with an objective to reinforce the image of Sikkim as premier tourism destination in the nation besides strengthening the village tourism in the State. The government is also seeking to have a 30 percent increase in the tourism inflow during the ‘Year of Tourism 2010’ celebrations. Around 5 lakhs tourists have already visited Sikkim in 2008-09.
With this objective in mind, the State tourism department has drafted a tentative itinerary that proposes to host tourism related activities throughout the year 2010. The department is presently engaged in coining an appropriate slogan for the upcoming Year of Tourism. The slogan once finalized will be used a brand name of Sikkim Tourism for the 2010 campaign.
The advance action plans being mulled presently are finalizing service providers to wide publicity, market and publishing publicity materials. Meetings and action plans with all the stakeholders like Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS), Sikkim Association of Adventure Tour Operators (SAATO), Sikkim Hotel Restaurants Association, transport agencies and village tourism development committee is will also be held as part of the advance action plans of this year.
The other advance action plans are publishing Sikkim tourism bulletin, State Tourism Master Plan along with Uttarey Master Plan, State Tourism Policy, garbage bags distribution and management besides management of Saramsa Garden along with permanent traditional food stalls, handicraft stalls, flower stalls and cultural programmes. Strengthening of accommodation, hotels, home stays and village tourism along with all tourism related services are included in the advance action plans of the State tourism department.
During the tourism year celebrations, the State government is keen to enforce discipline in overall tourism sector here.
The draft plan has proposed that the ‘Year of Tourism 2010’ will kickstart from March-April with ‘Sikkim Discover Festival’ followed by Rabong Discover tourism festival, Aritar tourism festival and Temi-Tarku Ram Nauvami festival.
The month of May will see the hosting of International Rhododendron Festival (IRF) 2010 at Shingba Lachung in North and Varsey in West Districts. The rhododendron festival has been proposed to be held on May 3 and will continue up to May 20. In this month, the Hee-Bermoik Cultural Heritage Festival in West Sikkim will also be held.
The ‘World Environment Day’ which falls on June 5 will be celebrated by the State tourism department in a grand manner along with all stakeholders and tourists. The rainy month of July will see plantation drives in all the tourist destinations of the State by the tourism department and stakeholders. Tourists will also be encouraged to plant saplings in the tourist destinations. Conferences, workshops, seminars and meetings will also be conducted.
A monsoon festival will be held on August 5 at Tharpu in West Sikkim.
In the next month of September, the department is proposing to have a two day ‘World Tourism Day’ celebrations where eco-adventure, camping, village tourism and home stay activities will be organized.
The festival month of October will have two more festivals. The department has proposed to celebrate Dasia as a tourism festival while Namchi Mahotsava will also be conducted in this month.
The month of November will have conferences, workshops, seminars and meetings on tourism related themes. Three tourism festivals have been included in the month of December – Magan Music Festival, Khangchendzonga Festival at Pelling and Gangtok Winter Festival.
The 2010 year will be signed off with a grand New Year celebration in January 2011 followed by Maghey Sankranti Mela at Jorethang. A tourism festival at Yuksom is proposed in the month of February 2011 while a State flower show at White Hall complex in Gangtok has been proposed in the month of March 2011 thereby brining the curtains on the Year of Tourism.

SOURCE: SIKKIM EXPRESS)