TAAS to play major role in International Rhododendron Festival 2010

GANGTOK, December 18: The Himalayan State of Sikkim is gearing up to celebrate 2010 as the Year of Tourism with a host of festivals and other tourism promotional measures.

Ushering in the Year of Tourism will be the International Rhododendron Festival slated to be held on April-May, next year and ground work for this festival is on with the tourism stakeholders of Sikkim.

A high level meeting was held recently by the State forest department headed by forest secretary ST Lachungpa with the executive members of Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS) and Sikkim Angling Association to discuss the modalities of organizing International Rhododendron Festival 2010 in Sikkim.

The International Rhododendron Festival 2010 is being organized for the first time in the entire Himalayan belt.

Programmes will be organized in various Rhododendron belts of Sikkim, namely Singba Rhododendron Sanctuary, Varsey Rhododendron Sanctuary and part of Lachen-Thangu axis.

The Singba Rhododendron Sanctuary has around 24 species of rhododendrons and will be in bloom during April-May, so the organizers decided to keep it as main area for inauguration and Varsey as closing function, informed TAAS general secretary
Lukendra Rasaily in a press statement. However, seminar on rhododendrons will be held here at Gangtok.

The main aim of organizing International Rhododendron Festival is to tap the potential of eco and sustainable tourism of the State, protection and conservation of almost 39 species of rhododendrons of Sikkim, provide economic benefit to local populace through sustainable tourism, share expertise with international researchers.

The festival will have many activities beside conference and seminar on rhododendrons where international, national, regional experts and other participants including from Sikkim will be attending the seminar.

Rhododendron nature walk, photo exhibition, bird watching, angling, mountain biking, ethnic food festival, cultural shows, camping, exhibition of local handicrafts will be part of activities during the festival, it is informed.

Series of meetings have already been conducted in various places besides this recent meeting which has decided to create a website, brochure, posters and other publicity materials. The website will be launched during the last week of December and TAAS has been accorded to create website for festival.

The TAAS said that in past four months, the organizers have been in touch with major experts on rhododendrons with reference with International Rhododendron Festival.
It is decided that TAAS will have to play a major role in promotion, publicity, and marketing of the festival for participants and the tourists alike. It is also decided that various organizations such as Angling Association, TAAS, SAATO, local bodies of the respective areas will be supporting other activities during the festival. It is further decided that the Forest department will be requesting various other department for lighting, sanitation, security, required infrastructure for the International Rhododendron Festival 2010.

The TAAS, SAATO and local bodies will be providing logistic support to Forest department, Rasaily said.

source: sikkim express