Kolkata, March 15: 
Nearly six months after the devastating earthquake in September, tourists are back in the Himalayan State of Sikkim in full strength. In addition to its scenic beauty, especially in the Northern part of the State, the North-Eastern border State is also India's only casino destination.
Sikkim has witnessed a steady increase in tourist traffic over the last couple of months, Mr Hari Nair, chief executive officer of Bangalore-based HolidayIQ, told Business Line. The online travel portal has tie-ups with more than 300 hotels and tour operators in Sikkim.
“We expect 50 per cent increase in business this summer (April-May) when compared with the same period last year,” he said.

Fully booked

Bookings have already been closed in a super luxury hotel in Gangtok till April. “We have no rooms available till the end of April. And, it has been the case for the last two months as well,” a spokesperson of MayFair Hotels and Resorts, said.
Mr Kaushik Ghosh, director, Zest India Tours, also said the tourist flow was expected to increase by more than 30 per cent in April. As on March 15, nearly 80 per cent of the hotel rooms in Gangtok-Pelling corridor in South Sikkim are booked for the April-May period.
Interestingly, according to Mr Ghosh, there is a substantial rise in tourist flow to the North Sikkim destinations such as Lachen and Lachung where road conditions are still far from satisfactory. North Sikkim was worst affected in the earthquake destroying major roads in the region.

Earthquake impact

Earlier, tourist arrivals were seriously impacted in the festive seasons of October and November. According to HolidayIQ, the tourist flow was reduced to nearly half in the peak holiday season in November.
Zest India Tours lost nearly Rs 70 lakh as almost all the bookings were cancelled for one week after the earthquake, Mr Ghosh said.
The small-scale industry was largely affected by the declining traffic during the period. “As the tourist flow was affected badly during the end of the last season, the small industries dependent on tourism in the State went through tough times,” he added.
ayan.pramanik@thehindu.co.in