80 Individuals Trained For CBT Under Sikkim INSPIRES As Sadam Prepares to Host Pre-Asian Paragliding Championship at ‘Go Sadam 2025’, From 21st November till 23rd November 2025

The ten day training commenced from 29th August and concluded today was organised by the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, Government of Sikkim in collaboration with Himalayan Footprint Tourism Cooperative Society, Sadam,.

The valedictory programme was graced by Area MLA Melli Mr NB Pradhan as the Chief Guest, and Chairperson(TCAD) Mr Sonam Norgay Lachungpa as the Guest of Honour. Present amongst during were, Zilla Adhakshya (Namchi) Ms Anjeeta Rai, APS to HCM (Namchi) Mr Bishnu Prasad Sharma, Additional Director Adventure Mr Tenzing Gelay Bhutia, Gram Panchayat Members Ms Chandra Kala Pradhan and Ms Kala Chettri, Sr CHA Vikash Rai, Deputy Director Mr Nirmal Cintury, Deputy Director Ms Yamini Pradhan, Assistant Director TIC Namchi Ms Dipti Rai, Himalayan Footprint Tourism Cooperative Society President Mr Damber Rai , Memebers of Chalamthang Village Tourism Development Committee, TSA team Sikkim INSPIRES, and other officials and staff of TCAD, and trainee participants.

Addressing the gathering, the Area MLA commended the initiative taken by TCAD in collaboration with the society, led by the Zilla Adhakshya Namchi, to promote rural and adventure tourism as a pilot project under Sikkim INSPIRES in the constituency.

He emphasized the need for collective responsibility and commitment towards the development of CBT and its integration with farming practices as sustainable livelihood opportunities. He urged all stakeholders to work together for more productive growth.

The Area MLA mentioned that tourism is a vast sector with immense potential to generate employment and encouraged the community to harness these opportunities in line with the vision of Chief Minister Mr Prem Singh Tamang. Citing the success of poultry and dairy farming in the constituency, he expressed confidence that similar determination could drive success in tourism initiatives.

He further highlighted upcoming tourism projects aimed at enhancing and boosting tourism activities in the constituency, while extending his best wishes for their success. Lastly, he conveyed his gratitude to the organisers for successfully conducting the capacity-building programme for the benefit of the community.

Chairperson TCAD Mr Sonam Norgay Lachungpa in his address, congratulated the trainees on the successful completion of the training programme. He shared his 25 years of experience in the field of tourism and highlighted the merits of the sector in Sikkim. He outlined basic ideas on how to harness the state’s abundant natural resources to promote tourism based in adventure, rural, pilgrimage tourism, cultural tourism, and biodiversity hotspot tourism. He also talked about how the festival like Pang Lhabsol and other prominent ones can serve as unique selling points to attract and invite visitors in the state.

The Chairperson further mentioned the recent announcement regarding the opening of battlefield tourism in Doklam and Chola Pass, which will add new avenues for tourism in Sikkim. He also underscored the intiatives of the State Government to boost economic opportunities in rural areas through sustainable tourism practices.

Speaking at the event, Zilla Adhakshya Namchi Ms Anjeeta Rai, announced that the Pre-Asian Paragliding Championship will be hosted at Go Sadam 2025 from 21st to 23rd November. She added that the event is expected to witness participation from paragliders representing up to 20 countries. In preparation, 39 households are being converted into homestays to accommodate visitors in the area, she said. She further stated that the venue has also been certified by reputed agencies and institutions to host adventure activities including paragliding, mountain biking (MTB), and rock climbing.

Zilla Adhakshya Namchi further mentioned that the region will also feature the state’s first astro-tourism site, adding a new dimension to Sikkim’s adventure and experiential tourism. To meet the growing demand, trainees are being upskilled through specialized training programmes, and furthre more training in adventure-based activities such as mountain biking, birdwatching, and other nature-centric, will be conducted by the TCAD, she declared.

She emphasized commitment from all stakeholders in this collective effort to ensure international success.

In his remarks, APS to HCM Namchi, Mr Bishnu Prasad Sharma, wished for the success of CBT in the region. Drawing on examples of rural tourism in the nations abroad, he highlighted the value of culture, cuisine, and landscape and stressed the need to integrate local practices in attracting visitors. He further urged all tourism stakeholders in Namchi to unite under one platform for better promotion and growth.

Additional Director TCAD Mr Tenzing Gelay, also highlighted that the CBT training under the Sikkim INSPIRES, aims to benefit and engage women and youth in the non-farming sector to earn their livlihood. He urged trainees to fully apply the skills learned and extended the department’s support in facilitating such technical training programmes for interested individuals.

During the programme, CBT Expert Ms Chung Chung La Bhutia shared that 74.8% of the participants were women, reflecting strong community involvement in the training session. She added that the top performers will be given the opportunity to undergo advanced training at Institute of Hotel Management in Gangtok.

Similarly, the trainees shared their experiences and highlighted the positive outcomes of the training session.

The programme also saw distribution of certificates of appreciation along with the copies of Homestay Operator’s Manual to the trainees.

It may be mentioned here that a total of 80 participants received the training session, which was divided into two batches with 40 participants in each.

The training session was conducted in following topics such as Homestay Management, CBT, Homestay Infrastructure & Standards, Business & Financial Management,Marketing & Promotion, Sustainable Tourism Practices and many more.