Tourism and Civil Aviation Department in collaboration with Sikkim INSPIRES conducts Entry Level Workshop on Community-Based Tourism

Organised by Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation, in collaboration with Sikkim Integrated Service Provision and Innovation for Reviving Economics (INSPIRES) project. The event aimed to empower local stakeholders, including women and youth, by fostering sustainable tourism practices and enhancing economic opportunities in the region.

Zilla Adhakshya Namchi Ms Anjeeta Rajalim, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and highlighted the importance of community involvement in the development of tourism. She stressed the need to promote and enhance natural resources to foster the growth of rural tourism.

She also expressed her sincere gratitude for the Sikkim INSPIRES initiative and acknowledged the unwavering support of the State Government in driving this endeavour forward.

Mr Ammiel Rai, Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, gave a PowerPoint presentation on the basics of CBT. He emphasized that the primary objective of the entry-level workshop was to equip local stakeholders with fundamental knowledge at the grassroots level.

He underscored the need to identify and utilize the region’s tourism potential while highlighting the importance of additional training programs to promote sustainable tourism development.

Furthermore, he pointed out that CBT directly benefits local communities, supports environmental conservation, and contributes to overall community empowerment. He encouraged local stakeholders to enhance management and coordination efforts to ensure a steady influx of tourists and foster the long-term growth of the tourism sector in Melli Constituency.

Ms Sabitri Chettri, a local stakeholder and homestay owner from Kitam, informed the region’s potential for tourism growth. She highlighted its abundant natural attractions, particularly the Kitam Bird Sanctuary, which hosts over 200 species of butterflies and more than 200 species of birds, including migratory species.

She expressed that the tourist influx could be significantly improved through better coordination with tourism stakeholders, paving the way for greater visibility and sustainable growth in the sector.

Similarly, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) Exercises was conducted under the guidance of experts, the exercises provided attendees with an opportunity to actively participate in various group activities.

These included Tourism Resource Mapping, Tourism Development History, Seasonal Calendars to evaluate local tourism potential, Seasonal Mapping, Training Calendar, SWOT Analysis, Institutional Venn Diagram, and Transit Walk Mapping.

The programme also focused on the Action Plan Development for roadmap for future interventions, including training programme and familiarization (FAM). Key outputs, such as Tourism Resource Maps and Institutional Diagrams were also discussed.

During the event, Ms Anjeeta Rajalim was felicitated by the organizers for her unwavering support and dedication to the local community, as well as her significant contributions to the development of tourism in Melli region.

Present during the programme were, Zilla Panchayats, President Kitam-Manpur GPU, President Sorok-Sampani GPU, Local Tourism Stakeholdes, Members from Self Help Groups (SHG), dignitaries from the Tourism Sector and Representatives from T&CAv Department.

The workshop concluded with valuable insights and practical strategies to strengthen CBT in Melli region. It ended with a call to action, urging local stakeholders to work together to foster sustainable tourism growth while empowering the local community.

It may be mentioned here that on the second day, it will feature field visits to identify tourism hotspots, guided by local experts. These visits aim at translating workshop insights into actionable plans for community-led tourism projecsts.