Sikkim experiences tourism boom

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Gangtok, Jan 5 (UNI) Sikkim has experienced a tourism boom over the last few years as the number of tourists visiting the state has surpassed the target.

The Tata Consultancy Service (TCS), which had prepared a master plan for the state tourism department, have estimated that 3.5 lakh tourists would visit the state by 2012.

However, tourism secretary Alok Srivastava said, '' We expect the target to be achieved by this March.'' Mr Srivastava said more than 2.7 lakh domestic tourists and around 1500 foreign tourists visited the state by November 2006 and the number is expected to cross 3.5 lakh this March.

He also said the government had chalked out a strategy to make tourism a major revenue earning sector by the end of the eleventh plan period and had taken a number of initiatives in this regard.

The state government had decided to construct two amusement parks--one at Sarmasa, about 15 km from here and another at Rangpo, the gateway of Sikkim on the bank of a water front, he added.

A Buddhist religious circuit would also be constructed and a new trekking trail from Hee-patal to Chiwabhan in West Sikkim would be developed, Mr Srivastav said.