Tourism and Civil Aviation Department holds a meeting for promoting Tourism in Namchi district

Namchi, 2nd August (IPR): To promote tourism in Namchi district, the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department convened a meeting at the Officers Club Namchi, today.
Ms Anjeeta Rajalim Zilla Adakshya graced the occasion as a chief guest.
Present during the session were Mr Ganesh Rai Chairperson NMC, Principal Secretary (IFS) Mr C S Rao, Ms Anupa Tamling DC Namchi, Mr Subash Ghimirey ADC Namchi Mr Neeraj Pradhan Principal Chief Engineer, Mrs Shanti Tamang Chief Engineer, Mr Kazi Sherpa Joint Director, Mr Nirmal Cintury Deputy Director, Ms Vijeta Chettri AD, Officers and representatives from different departments, staff from Tourism and Civil Aviation department Namchi, and all hotel and homestay stakeholders.
During the programme, Ms Anjeeta Rajalim highlighted the potential of tourism in namchi district. She told the house that the district has lots of tourist destinations and
requested the department authorities to make use of all the tourism infrastructure as many has not been functional.
She also appealed many cafeterias in the tourist destinations maybe made functional so the local youth can benefit from it.
Principal Secretary Mr. C. S. Rao delivered an insightful address on the ongoing and future initiatives to enhance tourism in Namchi. He mentioned that the meeting was organized at the Chief Minister’s behest to boost tourism in the district. He informed that 50 Nathula passes would be available from Namchi district, and the District Tourism Office would soon issue permits to foreign tourists for visiting high altitude destinations.
He urged stakeholders to standardize rates in comparison with other state tourism destinations and asked hotels stakeholders to submit a fixed rate chart for all seasons to the District Tourism Information Centre. He discussed the ‘Cluster Development Programme Scheme’ under MSME, aimed at supporting local businesses by providing shared facilities to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
Additionally, he announced the imminent reopening of the Namchi Ropeway, which is expected to attract many tourists.
He requested the identification of parking space for tourist vehicles to drop tourists and facilitate the market visit as they would prefer to visit the scenic and beautiful town.
He also mentioned that the coordination among all stakeholders and associations involved in the tourism sector is important and gave assurance that department will provide every possible support to boost tourism. He also assured stakeholders that their demands and grievances will be taken into consideration.
Further Mr Ganesh Rai assured support from Namchi Municipal Council for uplifting and promoting tourism in the district. He acknowledged that parking has been a significant challenge for tourists, affecting local businesses. To address this, a proposal has been submitted for approval to designate parking areas in Namchi town for tourist vehicles.
Additionally, he requested the police department to consider extending market hours to allow tourists to explore the town and suggested designating a food court to showcase the local cuisine’s diversity.
Ms Anupa Tamling in her address emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts among stakeholders and district authorities to unlock the full potential of Namchi’s tourism sector, leveraging its natural beauty. She pointed out that several government assets have become under-utilized liabilities, requiring strategic initiatives to generate revenue. She suggested harnessing festivals like Rankey Mela to boost tourism and explored the concept of Agriculture Tourism through progressive farming practices, highlighting its potential to diversify and strengthen the local economy.
Mr Neeraj Pradhan outlined a comprehensive strategy to enhance tourism in the district, encompassing multiple initiatives. These include empowering travel agencies to offer tailored experiences, showcasing rural tourism and homestay options to provide authentic local encounters, highlighting iconic tourist destinations to attract visitors, and developing adventure tourism opportunities to cater to diverse interests.
Ms Lamin Theengh Deputy Director shared her perspectives on several pressing concerns impacting the tourism sector, including the challenges faced by travel agencies in providing seamless experiences.
She also reflected on the inadequacy of transportation facilities for tourists, the need for resolving parking infrastructure issues in Namchi, and the issue of uneven distribution of tourist traffic, resulting in some attractions being overlooked. She suggested that by addressing these concerns, stakeholders can work towards creating a more streamlined and enjoyable experience for visitors, ultimately enhancing the overall appeal of the district’s tourism offerings.
The meeting also included an Open House Discussion between the officials, Stakeholders and Travel Agencies highlighting strategies and challenges for the development of tourism sector in the district.