Sikkim Minister Urges Gnathang-Machong Residents to Start Homestay Tourism

Guwahati: With the motive to promote homestay tourism, paragliding, bird watching, trekking and other allied tourism activities in the area, minister and Gnathang Machong MLA D.T. Lepcha visited various places in Sikkim under his constituency on Tuesday.

The minister was reportedly accompanied by Commerce & Industries chairman Choppel Dzangpo Bhutia, Zilla and Gram panchayats and Parakha Village Development Society president Kamal Gurung among others.

It needs to be mentioned here that the team inspected villages like Thekabung Tinkharkhey, Khimsika, Upper Parakha Daragaon and Parakha Rodhi ward and interacted with the local youths and public regarding promotion of homestays tourism in the area.

The team first visited Thekabung Tinkharkhey where they met local people and informed them about the possibility and potential of homestay tourism in the area and urged them to initiate homestay tourism.

The minister further assured to provide all possible help like the promotion of the area, loans and other supports.

The team also visited the rock climbing site at Tinkharkey and told the public that a welcome gate will be constructed in the area. The minister also visited houses and exhorted for initiating homestays at the respective places.

The team also visited Daragaon and inspected the paragliding spot and proposed office for homestay.

At Parakha, the team visited houses in Upper Parakha near Tarkayswar Shivalaya Mandir where the public expressed their interest of initiating homestay tourism. The minister said people can earn through home stay tourism. He cited examples of Yakten and Lossing villages of the constituency where the public are reaping huge profits through homestay tourism which was initiated by themselves with little support and guidance from the government and the concerned department.

The minister also visited ICDS at Daragaon Parakha and assured to supply necessary items for the centre. This initiative taken up the Minister is expected to aid in the promotion of tourism in the Northeast region.