Airport to boost India-China ties

MANAS RBANNERJEE, SNS, PAKYONG, 25 SEPTEMBER: The New Greenfield Air port at Pakyong in East Sikkim will not only develop tourism industry, but also relations between India and China, a section of travel operators have said.

Expressing extreme happiness over the inauguration at the airport near Gangtok, an advisor to the Travel Operators' Association of Sikkim (TAAS), Satish Bardewa, said that the tourism industry will see a rapid growth after the airport will befully operational. "Besides this, we expect the airport will also play a key role in developing India's relations with China," he said today, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the Himalayan state's first and the country's 100th airport here.

"Many more tourists will be coming here by air for the Mansarovar Yatra (pilgrimage) through the Nathu-La pass on North Sikkim. The tourist

flow for the Mansarovar Yatra will develop relations between the two countries," Mr Bardewa said.

Notably, Mr Modi, addressing a public rally after the inauguration of the Pakyong airport, yesterday pointed out to Mansarovar and said it was his government's initiative to introduce the route for the pilgrimage.

On the other hand, convener of the Association of Conservation and Tourism (ACT), Raj Basu, said that the Pakyong airport is a complementary gift  which will definitely boost the tourism industry. "it will bring in additional tourists and revenue for the entire North Bengal and Sikkim region and its adjoining areas, with the rapid arrival and departure ot tourists," he said.

A hotelier at Ranipool near Gangtok, Prem Chhetri, said that the population of Sikkim is six lakh, and the present flow of tourists is nearly 26 lakh. 'We expect tourist flow to increase up to 50 lakh. Tourists are coming here means revenue is coming," he said. "Secondly, big organisations will also be coming here for setting up more luxurious hotels after the Pakyong airport is fully operational," Mr Chhetri added.

"Thirdly, we expect that tourists, who were reluctant to come to Sikkim from Guwahati (a scam) owing to a lack of air service and who frequently visited Shillong, another Hill station in the north east, to come to Sikkim now," he added.

Students from Sikkim who live in places like Kolkata, Delhi. Bangalore and Mumbai for higher studies will now avail of air services from their hometown and save time they usually take to travel by road to the nearest airport at Bagdogra in Siliguri. It may be mentioned here that after the introduction of the air services between Pakyong and Kolkata from 4 October, another flight will be added connecting Guwahati in Assam.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his speech, also claimed: "Sikkim will witness another fair during Durga Puja due to increase in the number of tourists because of the Pakyong Airport and airline services."