Tourism Ministry to promote domestic tourism in Sikkim

New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) Tourism Minister Kumari Selja announced the guidelines that includes financial packages for states that intend to develop such projects.

While caravan tourism involves the use of a specially equipped vehicle deployed on a tourist circuit, helipad tourism is aimed at promoting tourism in hilly and remote areas by making helipads at select destinations.

The concept of caravan tourism will be popularised and promoted by developing caravan parks. This will be done through the public private partnership route.

The ministry will approve these parks only after states provide facilities like parking bays, tourist amenities centre, toilets and adequate safety measures.

According to the guidelines, the caravan parks will have electricity, water and sewage disposal facilities for the caravans which are parked.

Also, these parks should take environment friendly steps.

For this, the ministry will provide central assistance of up to Rs.5 crore per destination to state governments.

The ministry added that it would extend financial assistance of up to Rs.75 lakh to state governments for construction of heliports.

The guidelines specify that the projects for construction of heliports will have to conform to the technical requirements laid down by the Director General of Civil Aviation.

Already, the ministry has approved two projects in Sikkim - Mangan and Geetang Khola.

Apart from providing central financial assistance for the heliport, the government will also give aid for developing the area as a tourist hub.

For development of Mangan Tourist Axis in north Sikkim, the tourism ministry will provide Rs.3.03 crore and for Geetang Khola waterfall in West Sikkim Rs.3.02 crore will be sanctioned, officials said.

As India is known for its wellness tourism, especially because of its traditional systems of medicine — ayurveda, yoga, Unani and Siddha — the ministry plans to promote this key area too.

For this, it has revised its earlier guidelines of marketing development assistance (MDA).

Under this scheme, the wellness centres accredited by states, and travel agents and tour operators will be qualified for financial assistance to participate in wellness tourism fairs abroad.