Singapore tour operators to promote Sikkim Tourism

Any destination promoted by Singapore is well received: NATAS


GANGTOK, July 25: A three member team of National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) headed by its chairperson (outbound) Susan Teng is presently on a seven day tour of Sikkim to understand the tourism potential of this hilly State for promoting Sikkim Tourism from Singapore.

The other members of the Singapore team were Cathy Thang and LB Ale. They had arrived at Gangtok on July 22 and will be touring several parts of East and South districts of Sikkim before leaving on July 28. The NATAS had been invited by State tourism minister Bhim Dhungel during his visit to Singapore in February earlier this year.

Yesterday, the delegation had an hour long interaction with the members of Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS) at Gangtok during which the visiting team was briefed on various aspects of Sikkim Tourism.

“We have come with an open mind. This is our first visit. We came here to understand how to promote tourism at both ends. We need to understand the needs so we can create packages”, said Teng to reporters after the meeting with the TAAS.
Teng said that NATAS is aiming to promote Sikkim which will benefit both sides. Singaporeans love to travel and we are always looking for new destinations, she said adding the destinations promoted by Singapore are always well received.
“Singapore is a real jump off point for Europeans who stop there before visiting other Asian countries. We are at a central point and a lot of people can be re-routed to Sikkim. Any destination promoted by Singapore is well received”, said the NATAS chairperson.

Teng also highlighted the rich biodiversity and peaceful environment of Sikkim as tourism attractions. “We can encourage tourists to visit the farms and pluck the fruits or visit the tea garden to learn how to brew a cup of tea. They can also be attracted towards the local cuisine and how to make local handicrafts”, she said.
Regarding the timeframe for Sikkim Tourism to benefit from Singapore help, the NATAS chairperson pointed out that a tourism destination takes time to be accepted.
“There has to be constant promotion of a product. Stakeholders here also must consider the carrying capacity. Can Sikkim cope with a larger volume of tourists? Infrastructure must be in place. If you over-promote without matching infrastructure, then you will be a flop”, said Teng.

TAAS president Lukendra Rasaily said that the Singapore travel agents will be the Buddhist pilgrimage tourism and biodiversity of Sikkim.
“Singapore is a favoured destination of the Europeans. They can further market Sikkim to the Europeans. They will be our partner”, said Rasaily.

The TAAS president highlighted that Sikkim is trying to promote quality tourism and hence are looking towards Bhutan and Singapore to set up quality tourism in Sikkim.

source;sikkim express