From Rs 4 lakh profit to almost zero, that is how badly hit Sikkim hotels and lodges are

Hotels and lodges which rake in a lot of mullah during this season, is running dry as the flow of tourists into the state has plummeted because of the floods

While houses, roads, highways and bridges were getting washed away by floods and landslides in Sikkim, revenues of hotels and lodges were drying up with the tourism industry taking the maximum hit because of one of the worst deluge to have hit the Himalayan state in recent months.

Sikkim is a favourite tourist destination but the glacial outburst last year and the recent floods and landslides have dealt a body blow to the tourism industry. Making things worse for the hotels and lodges in the state is the fact that National Highway 10 and the alternate routes to the state has been shut for several days.

Speaking to Northeast Live, the owner of a travel agency in Sikkim said, “No tourists are coming at the moment owing to the damages in NH 10. The tourists who came were also afraid to go sightseeing and returned after just one day.”

Another one said, “We are experiencing significant losses at this time. NH 10 has been closed for approximately 14-15 days due to continuous landslides, and as a result, tourists are hesitant to visit. I urge the government to promptly repair and reopen NH 10. Additionally, providing an alternative route for tourists would have been beneficial. Normally, we would make a profit of Rs 3-4 lakhs during this season, but unfortunately, there has been no profit at all this time.”

A hotel owner in Sikkim stated, “Connectivity in the region has always been an issue. It’s never permanent. Every time there is heavy rainfall, landslides occur. This makes tourists change their plans fearing they might get stuck if road connectivity breaks down. Until NH 10 is completely restored, there won’t be a proper influx of tourists. The tourism business will remain seasonal until the road connectivity is permanent. I doubt that investing here will be a good idea until the road connectivity is fully restored.”

It may be mentioned that National Highway No. 10, already shut at multiple points due to heavy monsoon rains and landslides, has been officially closed since July 14. Additionally, the alternative route via Algarah road through Gos-khan-line has also been reopened only for light vehicles since 4th July.

Locals have raised concerns about the lack of alternative arrangements to maintain connectivity between Sikkim and the rest of the country during this period.

It may be mentioned that though the Gangtok to Siliguri via Teesta Bazar-Darjeeling road is open for the public, it takes around 10 hours to reach Gangtok from Siliguri.

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