TravelIndiaGuru.com

Sikkim witnessed around 2.80 lakh tourist arrivals in the first five months of this year, in spite of economic slowdown and limited infrastructure in the hospitality sector. According to figures released by the tourism officials, a staggering 35 per cent growth has been recorded in the arrivals of domestic tourists between January and May this year at 2.73 lakh as against the corresponding tally of two lakh last year. During the same period the number of foreign tourists dipped by nearly ten per cent to 7,812, as against 8,690 last year.

Tourism officials informed that most domestic tourists came from various destinations in West Bengal. A large number of people from the Southern and Western states of India visited places like Nathu La this summer. On the dip in the foreign tourists’ numbers this year, the officials attributed it to the ongoing economic downturn, as well as the perception of terrorism and other insurgencies in various parts of the country.

The officials added that post-monsoon months the state may witness a surge in the number of visitors to the border state as has been the case in the past years, to enable Sikkim to achieve the target of five lakh tourists. The state has declared the year 2010 as the Year of Tourism and has lined 13 festivals to woo visitors in its drive to develop the tourism industry as its main source of revenue and employment in the long term.