Northeast’s Tourist Hotspot Sikkim Imposes Tourist Entry Fee. Check Details Here

Sikkim Imposes Tourist Entry Fee: The Rs. 50 fee allows tourists to explore Sikkim for one month.

Sikkim Imposes Tourist Entry Fee: The picturesque state of Sikkim, a tourist hotspot of Northeast, has begun charging Rs 50 per head from tourists visiting the state.

The Sikkim government has implemented The Sikkim Registration of Tourist Trade Rules 2025, requiring every tourist visiting the state to pay a revenue fee of Rs. 50 per person. The Sikkim Legislative Assembly introduced the rule in September 2024, and the government has enforced it from March 2025.

Who will collect the entry fee?

Speaking exclusively to Northeast Live, Principal Secretary of the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, C.S. Rao, said that all tourists, except those below five years of age and those visiting for government work, must pay the fee at their hotel upon arrival. Hotels will collect the amount and deposit it into the tourism department’s account on a weekly basis.

Why has Sikkim Imposed the Entry Fee?

Sikkim Imposes Tourist Entry Fee: The government will use the revenue collected under the Tourism Sustainability Development (TSD) Fund to enhance tourism infrastructure and services in the state.

Will the Entry Fee have to be Paid Daily?

The Rs. 50 fee allows tourists to explore Sikkim for one month.
However, if tourists leave the state and re-enter within the same month, they will need to pay the fee again. If they stay continuously in Sikkim for a month, they will not need to pay the fee again when checking into other hotels.

When is the Pakyong Airport Reopening?

Meanwhile, the reopening of Pakyong Airport, earlier scheduled for March, has been delayed. According to information provided by SpiceJet to the tourism department, the airline will resume one flight service only in the third week of April. It remains unclear whether this flight will operate on the Pakyong-Kolkata or Pakyong-Delhi route.

During the visit of Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Sikkim’s Tourism Minister T.T. Bhutia and MP Dr. Indra Hang Subba submitted a memorandum urging the resumption of flights at Pakyong Airport. Minister Mohol had earlier assured that flights would resume in March after discussions with SpiceJet. However, the airline has now confirmed the postponement to mid-April, Principal Secretary C.S. Rao stated.

Also Read: Scam Exceeding Rs 400 crore in Sikkim Power Dept, CAP to File Case

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