Title: Sikkim Ecotourism Policy
KeyWords: trekking, bird and wildlife watching, hiking, photography, mountaineering,angling, rafting, kayaking,and photography
Published by: Sikkim Biodiversity Conservation and Forest Management Project (SBFP) Department Of Forest, Environment And Wildlife Management, Government Of Sikkim.
Author Name: Sikkim Biodiversity Conservation and Forest Management Project (SBFP) Department Of Forest, Environment And Wildlife Management, Government Of Sikkim.
Printed Year: 2011
Editor:
Language: English
Pages: 32
Details:
The State of Sikkim, with rich abundance of flowering plants per unit area as compared with the other neighboring states and countries such as Nepal and Bhutan, is located in the area of the Mega-Biodiversity hotspot of Eastern Himalayan Region. The State is embraced with the rich biodiversity of more than 4,500 species of flowering plants, more than 50 species of fish, 690 species of butterflies, 16 species of amphibians, 78 species of reptiles, 550 species of birds, and 154 species of mammals. The State is also unique as a destination on the tourism canvas of the world. Nature is bountiful in gifting Sikkim with great landscapes, forests, streams, rivers, glaciers, lakes, snow capped mountains and cold deserts.
All these beautiful gifts are wrapped in different flavours of indigenous social 1. Preamble 2 Sikkim Ecotourism Policy 2011 practices, exotic cultures and rich traditions. Most of these natural treasures are located in the Protected Areas (PAs) under the Forests, Environment, and Wildlife Management Department (FEWMD), Government of Sikkim. It is of utmost necessity that we conserve this natural heritage and at the same time open our doors to welcome visitors from both domestic and foreign countries. Since the Government of Sikkim addresses ecotourism as a priority sector, it is necessary to formulate an ecotourism policy that will act as a guiding principle in bringing about unique amalgamation of tourism and conservation. It also simultaneously shares the benefits of ecotourism on social, cultural, economic and physical environment and minimizes the negative impacts of ecotourism.