Sikkim to reopen for tourists from October 10

The Sikkim government has decided to reopen the state for tourists, both domestic and foreign, from October 10 after a gap of seven months. It was decided last week after a high level meeting which was attended by CM PS Tamang. A notification, issued by the state home department on Saturday stated: “It has been decided to allow free interstate movement of people without any requirement of registration with effect from 1st of October 2020, and also permit hotels, home stays and other tourism-related services to operate from 10th October 2020.”

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In Sikkim, the decision to open up tourism was made after chief minister Tamang met various stakeholders in Gangtok last week  and acknowledged that the state's economy had taken a beating because of the Covid-dictated tourist ban.

Sikkim had barred foreign tourists from March 5 and domestic ones from March 17, the first Indian state to do so in the wake of the pandemic.

The tourism open-up notification also stated that the state tourism department had to issue a detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) in consultation with the health department for hotels, homestays and other tourism-related services to run from October 10 and onwards. “Inner Line Permits for foreign tourists having valid visas shall be issued from 10th October, 2020…The bookings for hotels and homestays complying with the SOP shall start from 27th September, 2020, it added.

Toursim department has already prepared a draft SOPs and guidelines which just needed a final approval after discussing with health department.

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