ABSTRACT
Ecotourism is not only the fastest growing branch of the travel industry, but it has also been hailed as a hopeful new approach to both preserving fragile and threatened wild areas. It is about creating and satisfying a hunger for nature, about exploiting tourism’s potential for conservation and development and about averting its negative impact on ecology, culture, and esthetics. Tourism is one of the mainstays of the mountain and hill economy and Sikkim is second to none in this regard. The mighty Khangchendzonga offers brilliant mountain scenery, healthier, and invigorating climate. This chapter deals with the promotion and development of ecotourism in the state of Sikkim with special emphasis on wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. This chapter also focuses on the benefits provided through ecotourism to the local communities in the state of Sikkim.
