Editorial

Tourism Priorities, Post-Earthquake
Tourism has taken a hard hit in the wake of the 18 September Earthquake. Tourist arrivals in the post-earthquake months have been a sliver of the jeeploads which would otherwise drive into Sikkim with the start of the Durga Puja holidays. And with this dip, the main weakness of the tourism sector – the impact of factors beyond the host state’s control on tourist seasons – has been underlined. Sikkim, like any other tourist destination, knows this fickleness of tourist seasons only too well.
In the initial years of its tourism experience, bad press on connectivity issues and till very recently, the flightiness of neighbourhood politics, both, factors over which Sikkim has no control, have disrupted tourist arrivals here. The earthquake however has understandably rippled a much stronger impact and has scared away guests planning a Sikkim holiday. This is not a damage which will heal itself like a temporary disruption of roads due to landslides or bandhs. The worry over Sikkim’s fragility will not fade away with time; at least not in a very short time. And what is important to bear in mind now is that although the planners and stakeholders have no control over natural phenomenon like earthquakes, it does not necessarily mean that Sikkim should wait for earthquake fears to ease out of people’s minds and sit convinced that the tourists will return eventually.
While tourism might not be contributing much to the State exchequer directly by way of taxes or cess, outside of the Government, it is the largest economic activity in Sikkim. It employs a huge number of people and has many incomes connected indirectly to it. Even a small drop in arrivals demands a concerted effort to return in favour of travellers, and the present season of tourist drought demands a much larger undertaking. What is also important to bear in mind is that the presence of tourists is necessary not just for the economic contributions they make, but also for the comforting effect they have on minds traumatised by the 18 September experience. It is important to bear in mind that while in the past, tourist seasons were upset by developments outside Sikkim, in the present instance, it is the situation in Sikkim itself which has kept tourists away. The repairing [of Sikkim’s image as a safe destination], thus, will have to be undertaken by Sikkim itself. But before such a move is initiated, the Department and the stakeholders must first ensure that Sikkim’s capacity to take care of tourists is back on even keel. Once that has been ascertained, the State should launch a major publicity drive to reintroduce Sikkim to prospective tourists. The lackadaisical promotion of Sikkim Tourism will have to be jettisoned in favour of a more professional and better planned approach. There are many people around the world who love Sikkim and will want to holiday here as a contribution towards the State’s rebuilding, but they need to first be convinced that they will be safe here and that all efforts will be made to make their stay here is even more special. Special events, special deals and new experiences need to be planned and promoted. The department and the industry need to sit down and decide on what is to be done. Needless to add, any genuine effort to excite tourist interest in Sikkim once again is going to require substantial funding, but if projected clearly and in detail, there is no reason why central funding cannot be accessed for this initiative as a part of Sikkim’s post-earthquake rebuilding efforts.