Sikkim bags ‘Best Eco Tourism Destination’ Award
Sikkim Tourism has bagged an award for “Best Eco-Tourism Destination” from the North-East together with the Tourism Department of Meghalaya at the recently concluded Travel & Tourism Fair (TTF). The three days long TTF, India’s largest travel trade show, took place in Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata (West Bengal).
The award was received by the Special Secretary, Namrata Thapa and Joint Director, M K Pradhan from the hands of the Chairman-cum-CEO, Fairfest Media Pvt. Ltd., Sanjiv Agarwal, Director for Tourism, Government of Bangladesh and Director of Nepal Tourism Board.
Renowned music composer A R Rahman has been appointed as the Brand Ambassador of the Sikkim government recently. Sikkim, with its natural and pristine beauty, has over the last two decades emerged as a world famous eco-tourism destination, besides attaining a distinct identity as the first fully organic farming state of the country. Ecotourism in Sikkim started in the year 1995-6 with trainings, awareness, changes in regulations to adapt to the mountainous terrain and entry of foreign tourists in many of restricted & protected areas.
This small but incredible State has an elevation ranging from 280 metres to 8586 metres with the Mighty Mt Kanchendzonga as its highest point which is also the world’s third highest peak, situated on the border of Sikkim and Nepal. Sikkim is blessed with 28 mountain peaks and about 80 glaciers. Some of the breathtaking high altitude lakes are Tsongmo, Gurudongmar and Khecheopalri Lake. The original inhabitants of Sikkim were the Lepcha. It is believed that the Buddhist saint Guru Padmasambhava passed through the land in the 9th century AD. Having being blessed by the saint, Buddhism was introduced to the place.
