25 to vie for the Miss Sikkim title this Friday

TWO-DAY PRELIMINARY ROUNDS END AT SMILE LAND TODAY
ANUSHA GURUNG
GANGTOK, 22 Feb: The grooming sessions and preliminary rounds of the Miss Sikkim contest ended today at Smile Land. Participants were judged for various titles namely Miss Clear Skin, Miss Beautiful Smile, Miss Silky Hair and Miss Talented which will be declared on the final day of the contest.
Out of 29 contestants 25 will make it to the final rounds to be held at May Fair resort on 24 February, which is being organized by CKIM Travels as part of the Sikkim Snow Fest. Following two days of grooming session the contestants walked the ramp today dressed in traditional attire ranging from Bhutia, Nepali to traditional Indian wear.
Event coordinator Arun Dinesh said that it is an awesome opportunity to come up with such a fabulous show after such a long time. “I have my own recruitment firm at Kerala, and have also been working with the best choreographers”, he mentioned.
He further added that innovative methods are being used to prepare all the contestants. “They are becoming bolder and are learning a lot. 90 % of them have been waiting for such an opportunity for a long time. This is just a way to make them professional”, he added.
Event organizer TAAS, Biren Tamang said that the contestants this time are from different parts of Sikkim. “In places like Mizoram, Manipur they often host such programs and Sikkim is also not far behind, it is also coming up with this kind of programs”, he added.
Contestant, Zennyla Bhutia B Com graduate [22 yrs] from Development Area here said “The experience has been great. Now when I am getting a chance I want to make use of each and every lesson that is being taught here. It has given me a platform to fulfill my dreams”.
Judges present in the final round will be [former Miss Sikkim, 1999] Anu Pradhan, [Designer from Calcutta] Amenda Hymes, [Film Director] Prashant Rasaily , [Nayuma MD] Roshan Rai, [Branch Manager ] Pranjol Gogoi, [Lecturer] Pankaj Thapa.
Singer Frances Yee Lepcha from Kolkata will also perform on the final  day, it was informed.

First Lepcha fusion rock band ‘Wvaoth’ to open for ‘Rock On Beat’ contest

GANGTOK, 22 Feb: The ‘Rock On Beat’ contest is now all set to enthrall the audience with Dream Diabolic of Namchi as the headlining act along with special guest band ‘Wvaoth’, the first traditional Lepcha fusion rock band of Sikkim, at Epica Garden, Saramsa, on 24 February.
A total of 15 bands from within and outside the state will battle for the title and Rs. 50,000 cash prize. The event is being organized by the Gangtok based Star Entertainment and is part of the ongoing Sikkim Snow Festival.
Addressing a press conference today, bass guitarist of Dream Diabolic, Tashi Lama informed that as the event is also being organised for a social cause so the band members have decided to come forward to support the contest. He informed that the band has already won many contests and would be happy to support such events in the future too.
Dream Diabolic was formed in 2008 and has Rahul Rai as the vocalist, Nimesh Pradhan on drums, Phurba Sherpa on lead guitar and Nima Sherpa on keyboard.
Rickhel Lepcha, lead guitarist of Wvaoth, informed that the band is the first Lepcha rock fusion band from Sikkim and performs with traditional Lepcha instruments. The band was formed on 09 March 2009 with Mickma Tshering Lepcha as the vocalist, Palden Lepcha on drums and Raju Chettri as the bassist.
The band has already performed at different places across the state and also at Dimapur, Hyderabad, Aurangabad and other places in the country.
Managing Director of Star Entertainment, Tshering Wangchuk Lepcha informed that the main objective of the event was to provide an appropriate platform for talented musicians. He also expressed his gratitude to the Rajya Sabha MP, Hissey Lachungpa and UD&HD Minister, DB Thapa for their support in organizing the event.
Mr Lepcha informed that on the day of the show, the organizers will put up baskets at the venue where the audience can drop wearable clothes, books and other stationery. These materials will then be handed over to the Dirty Angels Motorcycle Club of Gangtok, who will then distribute it among the poor and needy people and children. The books will be handed over to Rabong Monastery library in March. The biker’s club plan to travel upto Yuksom.
The contest will have a four-member panel of judges; Sachin Gurung from Noida School of Rock, Dominic Moktan, who studied music from the Trinity College of London, Suman Karthak, bassist of Still Waters and renowned musician, Diwas Rai.
The conference was also attended by general secretary, Karma Namgyal Pintso and treasurer, Pranay Chettri of Star Entertainment.

14 finalists selected for folk song comp at MG Marg

GANGTOK, 21 Feb: Auditions for the folk song competition  as part of Sikkim Snow and Culture Fest were held on 18, 19 and 21 Feb at Hotel Delamere, Church road.
Out of 38 participants in Bhutia, Lepcha and Nepali languages, 14 were selected for the grand finale to be held on 26 Feb at MG Marg. Names of the finalists are as follows; Rapden Bhutia, Tashi Tshering Bhutia, Chumi Denka Bhutia, Leydup Lama, Sonom Bhutia, Petrick Lepcha, Leemit Lepcha, Yankee Lepcha, Choki Lamu Lepcha, Indra Bdr Gurung and group, Pasang Doma, Pramod Sharma, Sheela Nepal and Basanti Rai.
The participants were judged by Kr Pakhrin [Nepali], Narayan Rai [Nepali], Tashi Ongmu Bhutia [Bhutia] and Dawa Lepcha [Lepcha].

MG Marg to remain open on the last two Tuesdays of Feb

SIKKIM SNOW FEST’S “AMIT PAUL NITE” POSTPONED TO APRIL
GANGTOK, 20 Feb: The State government has allowed shops and commercial establishments situated at MG Marg here to operate on Tuesdays of third and fourth week of February to supplement the tourism recovery efforts made by Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS).
The ‘Sikkim Snow & Cultural Festival’ is being organized by TAAS with the full support of the State government to attract tourists to the State. Cultural programmes are held every evening at MG Marg to entertain tourists and locals alike during the festival.
A press release informs that TAAS had approached the State Labour department to exempt shops and commercial units at MG Marg from the mandatory closure during Tuesdays so that tourists can shop and eat snacks. Tourists do not know shops are closed at MG Marg during Tuesdays so they may face problems when they are here during the festival, said TAAS president Lukendra Rasaily.
In response to TAAS’s request, the Labour department issued a notification today exempting all shops and commercial establishments at MG Marg from closing down this Tuesday (February 21 and next Tuesday (February 28) during the Snow festival, the release informs.
TAAS has out-sourced various event management groups to entertain tourists and locals during this period. We have lined up various entertainment programmes beside tours to snow covered areas and home stays in the villages, the release mentions.
As part of the programme AMIT PAUL NITE was slated for 22 February 2012 at TNA Ground by the Namdul Tours & Travels in collaboration with TAAS. Due to various reasons, the show “AMIT PAUL NITE “has been postponed to April 2012, the release informs. The primary reason for this is the upcoming board examinations. Those who have obtained entry passes can use the same for AMIT PAUL NITE in the month of April.

15 bands to “Rock on Beat"

GANGTOK, 20 Feb: Fifteen bands from Sikkim and the neighboring hills including one from Shillong have signed up for the ‘Rock on Beat’ contest being organized at Saramsa as part of the Sikkim Snow and Cultural Fest. The contest is scheduled to be held on 24 February from 10 AM onwards.
The participating bands are Eyestill, Immortal Flames, Black Tooth Grin, Invention 13,  [Gangtok], Death Squad and Grove Souls [Namchi], 2 Point Four Three and After Glow [Darjeeling], Civilian Dust [Kurseong], Ground Zero, Solitary Souls, Method 29, Prophetic Angels [Kalimpong], If Hope Dies [Siliguri], and Dosser’s Urge from Shillong, informs a press release.
The event is being organized by STAR and the winners of the contest will get a cash prize of Rs 50,000, the release adds.

Art supplements Sikkim Snow & Culture Fest

GANGTOK, 17 Feb:  Gangtok MLA, Dorjee Namgyal inaugurated a painting exhibition which is a part of the ongoing Sikkim Snow and Culture Fest here at Hotel Yawachi, Church Road today. The exhibition is organized by Hotel Yawachi and more than 150 paintings of 30 artists from the Oviya Art Circle are on display.
Addressing the inaugural function today, Mr Namgyal said that such exhibition shows have only just started in Sikkim and that such initiatives were still in the pilot phase. Stating that there are many artists who really work hard and their talent should not go in vain, he said, “Sikkimese artists have done quite well in this field. I will definitely help and support them and act as a bridge between the Government and the artists by working towards setting up an art gallery here”.
Such an exhibition should be held on a larger scale and should be displayed during tourist season to get more exposure, he added.
Travel Agents Association of Sikkim [TAAS] president, Lukendra Rasaily in his address said that the main aim of organizing this Snow Fest is to spot talent and provide exposure to them. He stressed on the need for an art gallery as art lovers who visit the state have no option at the moment and added that if such an initiative is started in the future then TAAS would also support it.
Owner of Hotel Yawachi, Vivek Rai informed that they have started distributing banners and pamphlets about the exhibition and have also have given charge to different travel agencies to inform tourists about the exhibition.
The exhibition is open from 9 AM to 8 PM till the month of May.
Also present today were Vice president [OVIYA Art Circle], Dewakar Lamichaney and senior artists.

Miss Sikkim auditions on 18 Feb

GANGTOK, 11 Feb: Auditions for the Miss Sikkim beauty pageant organized by Ckim Travels under the aegis of Travel Agents’ Association of Sikkim [TAAS] will be held on 18 February at hotel Tamarind at Chanmari, Gangtok.
The short listed contestants will then go through grooming sessions and preliminary rounds on 21 and 22 Feb at Smile Land. On 22 Feb, participants will be judged for various titles namely Miss Clear Skin, Miss Beautiful Smile, Miss Silky Hair and Miss Talented.  
Addressing a press conference today, Ckim Travels Managing Director, Raj Pradhan said that the Miss Sikkim pageant is going to be a big event since its being organized after a gap of five years.
Mr Pradhan informed that Anu Pradhan [Miss Sikkim 1999], and Arun Dinesh who have been working in Bangalore’s fashion industry for the last 11 yrs, will be grooming the participants and choreographing the show.
Any one who is a resident of Sikkim and between 18-28 years of age can take part in the pageant. The finale, which will be held on 24 Feb at Mayfair resort, will have 3 rounds. The first round will be the traditional round wherein 25 contestants will be short listed to go on to the swim suit round. Ten finalists will then make it to the final round where they will be dressed in evening gowns.
The winner of the Miss Sikkim title will also get a chance to participate in the Femina Miss India East, it was informed. Forms for the pageant are available at Cacao, Girlfriend, Style Check, Virgo, Zipper, Baker’s café, Kaalos, Aries beauty parlour, Hotlix, Bounce beauty parlour, Lata’s beauty parlour in Gangtok. In Namchi the forms are available at Freestyle, Ming ming, South wing, Solokhop and Flavours. Forms can also be downloaded at www.sikkimsnowfest.com and submit it online at Razin@gmail.com.
Tickets for the show will be available at different places in Gangtok from 12 Feb onwards. The tickets are priced at Rs 750 [only entry], Rs 1500 [includes dinner at Mayfair] and Rs 2500 [includes drinks, dinner and entry to Morf discotheque].

Auditions for Snow Fest folk song comp on 18 and 19 Feb

ANUSHA GURUNG
GANGTOK, 08 Feb: Auditions for the folk song competition, part of the Sikkim Snow and Culture Festival, will be held on 18 and 19 February organised by the Tours and Travels group at Hotel Delamare, Church Road, Gangtok. Auditions for South and West districts will be held on 18 Feb while auditions for North and East districts will be held on 19 Feb.
Addressing a press conference today, Advisor of Tours and Travels group, Shankar Pradhan said that “the people of Sikkim have been given an opportunity to show their hidden talents through this programme. Let us keep our tradition alive with unity”.
“This is the first time in Sikkim where even tourists who are interested will be given a chance to join in. It will, however, be centered on Sikkimese folk songs”, Mr Pradhan further added.
A sub-committee has been formed for the purpose which consists of  Advisor SK Pradhan, Palzor Lachungpa, Karma Bhutia, president [Snoopy Travels] Rajani Gurung, vice president [High Mountain Travels] Raju Lama, secretary [Diksha Travels] Dhanman Tamang, treasurer [Naramchu Travels] Beena Rai, executive members [Eastwind Holidays] DB Rai,  [North Sikkim Travels] Samudra Singh, [Pakhrin Travels] Bhusan Tamang.
The 12 best performers will take to the stage in the finals to be held on 26 Feb at MG Marg from 3:00 pm onwards. Awards will be given in three categories [Bhutia, Lepcha and Nepali]. The winner will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 10000, while the 2nd and 3rd prize winners will be awarded Rs 7000 and Rs 5000 respectively.

Sikkim Snow & Culture Fest to revive Sikkim Tourism

NOW AMIT PAUL TO HIT SIKKIM WAVES
GANGTOK, 07 Feb: Amit Paul, Indian Idol season-3 runner-up, is all set to perform in the state capital in a musical event ‘An Evening With Amit Paul. The programme is being organized by Gangtok based Namdul Tours and Travels at Tashi Namgyal Academy playground on 22 February evening and is part of the Sikkim Snow and Culture Fest, which is scheduled to be held from 14 February to 29 February in the state. Amit Paul will be another in the string of celebrities to hit the town recently, entertain tourists and locals alike and attempt to revive the fledgling tourism industry in the state.
The event will witness other local artists and also dancers from Kolkata. Part of the collection raised through tickets will also go to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to support the earthquake victims.
Addressing a press conference today, Namdul Tours and Travels managing director, Tularam Chettri informed that the primary focus of the event is to revive Sikkim Tourism which has taken slump lately; this is largely because of the 18 September earthquake. He further stated that the event will also help to send the message to the whole world that Sikkim is safe and fine and all set to welcome tourists in the state.
“Amit Paul was the runner-up in the Indian Idol and presently is a playback singer in Bollywood, so he is quite popular among the people of India; through this event we have also targeted domestic tourists coming to Sikkim to give them another extra event in the state,” Mr Chettri said.
For the same, the organizers have already informed hoteliers to convey the message of the event to their guests; they also plan to visit the hotels in days to come apart from also promoting the event through online marketing.
The organizers have fixed the price of tickets at Rs 500 and Rs 300 each which is available at a counter set up before Tourism Office in MG Marg. Mr Chettri informed that they have been approaching private companies to sponsor the event and should any company come forward to support the show then the price of tickets would go down.
The organizers expect a crowd of around 3000 people for the show.
Sima Thapa informed that Amit Paul has already confirmed his participation for the event and will be coming from Mumbai. She stated that this event will help to promote Sikkim as Amit Paul will convey the message of Sikkim to wherever he would perform around the world that Sikkim is alright and safe. She informed that he will perform with his own band and has also promised to present around 6 Nepali songs in the show. Ms Thapa added that dancers from Kolkata will perform in the show.
Travel Agents Association of Sikkim [TAAS] is also assisting the organizers in publicity and other arrangements and has also allotted a slot in the Sikkim Snow and Culture Fest for the next 3 years.

Miss Sikkim pageant returns with the Sikkim Snow and Culture Fest

GANGTOK, 05 Feb: Miss Sikkim is set to return this month after a 5-year hiatus, as part of the Sikkim Snow & Culture Festival.
The beauty pageant, organized by Ckim Travels, will feature in the snow festival on the theme ‘beauty with compassion and a mission’, informs a press release issued by Travel Agents Association of Sikkim [TAAS]. Selection rounds will start from this week and the final event to crown the most beautiful woman with compassion from Sikkim is scheduled to be held on 24 February.
“Compassion signifies encouraging people to preserve the rich culture and to spread love and togetherness. That is why the first round of the beauty contest will be a traditional round where the contestants will dress in traditional attire of their choice”, said Ckim Travels managing director, Raj Pradhan.
The traditional dress round will be followed by the swimsuit round. In the final round, the ten finalists in evening gowns will be fielded questions and then the top three will be chosen, said Mr Pradhan. The mission of the Miss Sikkim contest is to help showcase the beauty and talent of young women of the State, he added.
Miss Sikkim winner will be taking home a cash prize of Rs. 25,000. The first runners up will receive Rs. 15,000 and second runners up will get Rs. 10, 000. There are several surprise gifts for the contestants as well, said  Mr Pradhan.
Forms can be downloaded from sikkimsnowfest.com or collected from select outlets in MG Marg and other parts of the town like Cacao, Virgo, Bakers Café, Girlfriend, Aries Beauty Parlour, Hotlix, Lata’s Beauty Parlour, Ckim Café, Bounce Beauty Parlour and Style Check. The entry fee for the show is priced at Rs. 200.

TAAS convenes coordination meeting for Sikkim Snow Fest

GANGTOK, 03 Feb: A coordination meeting to discuss the agendas and other formalities regarding the Sikkim Snow & Culture Fest that is to begin from 14 February was held at Hotel Tibet on 02 February. The meeting was organised by Travel Agents Association of Sikkim [TAAS] and was attended by Minister for Tourism, Bhim Dhungel, District Collector [East], D Anandan, Superintendent of Police [East], Dr. MS Tuli, Mayor [GMC], KS Topgay, GMC Deputy Mayor, Shakti Singh Chowdhary, Municipal Commissioner, Anil Raj Rai, PI Sadar Police Station, Tshering Sherpa, officials from the Tourism, Forest, Police and Culture department, the army, event managers and members of TAAS and SHRA.
Speaking during the meeting, the Minister for Tourism stated that after the 18 September, 2011 earthquake, the tourism sector had been affected badly and so by organising such an event the people related with the tourism sector were trying to bring the State back to it’s previous glory. Even the Chief Minister has been informed about this event and he too has extended his full support for this fest, he added.
President, TAAS, Lukendra Rasaily apprised the gathering about the permissions required from various departments, the different types of events to be held during the fest and of the promotion and publicity being done by TAAS for the event. Various other topics were also discussed during the meet.
There are various events lined up for the Fest, such as dance competitions, paragliding, folk song competition, adventure tours, photography contest, rock climbing, treasure hunt, trekking, skiing, bird watching, mountain biking, country song and beat contest.
The event is going to be held in many places across the state, like Tsomgo, Baba Mandir, Nathula, Kupup, Zaluk, Aritar and Gangtok in the East District, Lachen, Lachung, Dzongu and Mangan in North Sikkim, Yuksom, Pelling, Uttarey, Hee Bermiok and Barsey in West and Namchi, Ravangla and Kewzing in South Sikkim.
The members of TAAS have appealed to the people of Sikkim to make the event a grand success by participating in the Fest on a daily basis and enjoy the event. It may be mentioned here that the event is a tourism recovery mission and is being organised by TAAS and supported by Sikkim Tourism and SHRA.

Sikkim Snow Fest to host ‘Rock on Beat’ contest at Saramsa

GANGTOK, 03 Feb: As part of the Sikkim Snow and Culture Fest being organized by Travel Agents and Association of Sikkim [TAAS] a rock band competition titled “Rock on Beat” contest will be held on 24 February from 10:00 AM onwards at Epica garden [Saramsa].
Speaking at a press conference today, representative of the Star Event Management Company, Tshering Wangchuk Lepcha informed “This beat contest is basically a platform for the upcoming generation. I want to appeal to the humble people of Sikkim to come and support our first Sikkim Snow fest open heartedly. The reputed president of TAAS has committed that the winner will be given a chance to perform an opening act for the Indian band Parikrama.”
Baskets will be put up at the contest’s venue where people can donate wearable clothes which will be distributed to the needy in West Sikkim by the Dirty Angels Bikers Club while people can also donate books for the library at the Ravangla Monastery, he informed. The company has pooled in Rs 50,000 as the cash prize for the winners of the contest, he added.
The last date of submission of registration forms for the contest is 20 Feb which will have Saching Gurung, from the Noida School of Rock as the judge. The entry fee for the contest is priced at Rs 200 per person.
The Sikkim Snow and Culture Fest is being organized from 14-29 Feb and is also supported by Sikkim Tourism and SHRA.

TAAS begins online promotion of Sikkim Snow Fest

GANGTOK, 31 Jan: Around 20 lakh e-mail invitations for the ‘Sikkim Snow & Cultural Festival’, a tourism recovery mission to restore pre-earthquake tourism status in the State, have been carpet bombed by Travel Agents Association of Sikkim [TAAS] to corporate sector, associations, tour operators and honeymooners in India and Southeast Asia, since 05 January.
“Eight computer operators are sending around 70,000 e-brochures of the snow festival daily from our office. We are targeting honeymooners, corporate sector, tour operators and associations of different professions and sending them e-mails”, said TAAS general secretary, Sonam Norgay Lachungpa reporters today.
The snow festival, organized by TAAS and supported by the Sikkim government, commences from Valentine’s Day and ends on Leap Day. The TAAS general secretary said that the e-mail consists of a home page of www.sikkimsnowfest.com where the recipient can click and enter the website to read the different activities outlined for the festival.
“We have tied up with a matrimonial website for getting the e-mail address of newly married couples and are sending them links to our website. The response is very encouraging as we are getting lot of enquires and feedback from potential tourists. Some of our members have already got bookings for the festival”, said Mr Lachungpa.
TAAS president, Lukendra Rasaily said that a big buzz through internet promotion has already been created for the upcoming festival. “January and February months are a lean tourism season in Sikkim. But now, through this festival, we have created a big buzz and enquires from tourists are coming in. We want tourists to visit Sikkim also during January and February so that we have a long tourism season in Sikkim. We have decided to continue the snow festival annually”, he said.
The e-mails will be continuously forwarded till the end of the festival and we aim to send 1 crore e-mails, said Mr Rasaily.
TAAS software consultant Jayant Das said that a special e-mail extractor software is being used to get the e-mail addresses of the targeted sector in India and Southeast Asia. “Once the email addresses are extracted, our computer operators start sending the e-mails to all. We are getting a thousand hits every day to our website and the numbers are increasing daily”, he said.
The snow fest website link has already been uploaded in the official website of Sikkim government and Sikkim Tourism department.
“All our members are also using the social networking site, Facebook, to promote the snow fest. Several travel writers are interested in coming to Sikkim and cover the event”, said Mr Lachungpa.
The snow fest has already received attention nationally with Australian born travel writer Sherell Cook writing a post on the festival in an Indian travel portal. “Himachal Pradesh is a popular destination for snow seekers in India, however if you're looking to have fun in a winter wonderland, this year Sikkim has something special to offer”, she writes in her post with details on the festival and a link to sikkimsnowfest.com
As part of the promotion activity, the TAAS will also be sending 1 lakh SMSes to all tour operators in the country. “Such kind of mass tourism promotional activity through e-mails and SMSes is being conducted for the first time in the country. We have good teamwork in TAAS and the Sikkim government has been very supportive”, said the TAAS president.

Folk Song competition at MG Marg

GANGTOK, 30 Jan: TAAS will be hosting an Open Folk Song Competition will be held here at MG Marg as part of the Sikkim Snow & Culture Fest, which is to start on 14 February.
Speaking to media persons today, TAAS Joint Secretary [South], Dhan Man Tamang, informed that the Travel Agents Association of Sikkim was going to hold an open folk song competition here at MG Marg during the Sikkim Snow & Culture Fest. As the name suggests, the competition is open to all.
Contestants can perform in any of the three languages - Bhutia, Lepcha or Nepali. Auditions are scheduled for 18 and 19 February at MG Marg itself and the finals scheduled for 26 February with a charity show, he added.
“The winner will take home a cash prize of Rs. 25,000, with the runner-up receiving Rs. 15,000 and the one coming third Rs. 10,000,” he further informed.
“The reason for holding this open folk song competition is to bring forward the hidden talents of the people and children of Sikkim and also work on the recovery mission of bringing back tourism after the 18 September, 2011 earthquake,” he further added.
Any person interested in taking part in the folk song competition can contact: 98325-86359, 94743-48851, 94750-11447.

Sikkim Snow & Culture Fest T-Shirts released

GANGTOK, 29 Jan: Sikkim Snow & Culture Fest T-Shirts and stickers are now available for purchase. These can be purchased from Rahul’s Tours & Travels and Hotel Fujiya, both situated near Ruchi Diagonistics, near BSNL office on NH 31 A, informed Feroze Gurung [Proprietor, Rahul’s Tours & Travels], while speaking to media persons here in the Capital today. The t-shirts and stickers designed by TAAS have been brought out to support and promote Sikkim Snow & Culture Fest which is scheduled to begin on Valentine’s Day, 14 February.

15-day Sikkim Snow & Culture fest to power tourism recovery mission

SIKKIM YOUTH ADVENTURE FEST TO FOLLOW IMMEDIATELY AFTER
ANAND OBEROI
GANGTOK, 24 Jan: The Sikkim Snow & Culture Festival, jointly organized by the Tourism Department, TAAS, SHRA and various village tourism development committees, is all set to commence from 14 February and conclude on 29 February. The event, aimed as a ‘recovery mission’ for the tourism industry devastated by the 18 Sept Earthquake, will seek to showcase afresh to prospective visitors and announce that ‘normalcy’ has returned to Sikkim and that it was still safe, pristine and peaceful like it has always been.
Tourism Minister, Bhim Dhungel, unveiled plans for the Fest at a press conference here today. Accompanied by the Tourism Secretary, R Telang, TAAS president, Lukendra Rasaily, SHRA president, Bhanu Rasaily, TAAS general secretary, Norgay Lachungpa and SHRA general secretary, Prashant Subedi, the Minister also released the Sikkim Snow & Culture Fest stickers, posters, T-Shirts and launched the official website, www.sikkimsnowfest.com.
Although the fest falls in a lean period of the tourist season, the organisers expect around 55,000 tourists to till make it here. The State government, it is informed, is promoting the event through different media houses across the country and organizing press conferences in all the cities where there are Sikkim Houses to announce the fest.
Many travel writers of repute have also been invited to Sikkim to cover the event, it is informed.
The festival will highlight the culture, nature, adventure activities in Sikkim and will also include a series of talent hunt exercises.
Amongst the various activities lined up for the tourists are adventure activities such as mountain biking, rallies & races, trekking, camping, angling, skiing, paragliding, rock climbing, river rafting, treasure hunt competition, zorbing, kayaking, hot air balloons, paint ball shooting, which will be organized at venues throughout the state.
Further, there will be exhibition and sale counters of paintings, handicrafts, drift woods, flower shows, factory produce from Sikkim, and mountaineering equipment on display. Along with entertainment activities such as cultural shows, food festivals, yak rides, Singye dances and fashion shows, there will also be country music contest, folk song contests, dance contests, beauty pageants, beat contest and Valentine’s Day special programme.
Tour packages, trekking, customised tours to pilgrimage destinations and even ice hockey and golf at the highest golf course in the world will also be organized with the support of the Indian Army.
The events are open for all including locals.
It was also informed that the Snow & Culture Fest 2012 will be followed by the Sikkim Youth Adventure Fest which will continue throughout the year.
In this regard, the Tourism Minister stated, “These fests will restore tourist traffic to Sikkim to what it was prior to the earthquake. The Mission will be used as a tool to rejuvenate the businesses, rekindle the enthusiasm of the tourism stakeholders and most importantly restore the position of Sikkim as the most favoured eco-tourism destination on the tourism map of the country and the world”.
He added that the State Government has pledged full support to the mission under the leadership of the Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling, and would continue to guide its course through the year.
“The fest is being organized for the economic benefit of the local stakeholders and also promotes quality tourism instead of quantity. This is a collective effort since it is a mammoth task we have at hand. The fest will also be an aggressive marketing strategy which will recover the tourism industry which has been affected due to the earthquake. Everything will change for the better now since almost all rebuilding and rehabilitation works are over,” stated the Tourism Minister.

Sikkim snow fest 2012

Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS) requests & invites individuals, group of individuals, clubs, society, tourism development committees, self help groups, women’s groups, hotels, and tour operators engaged in tourism activities to support the SIKKIM SNOW FEST 2012.

Sikkim Snow Fest announced for Jan-Feb 2012

GANGTOK, 01 Dec: Travel Agents Association of Sikkim [TAAS] has announced plans to host ‘Sikkim Snow Fest 2012’ from 28 January to 27 February 2012.