ABSTRACT
Regional disparity exhibited through tourism contradicts sustainable tourism development and its practices. There are several reasons of this disparity adversely affecting tourism industry. In some cases, it is not clear as to whether this disparity has resulted in unsustainable practices or vice versa. However, various root causes were sought to identify and explain this regional disparity or destination disparity. Alpine State Sikkim is primarily known as an exotic, idyllic, multiethnic Indian hilly state since 1975 with its distinct biogeographic and sociocultural characteristics. Being one of the successful and mature alpine Indian states, tourism development in Sikkim needs research oriented efforts for development and planning. The present chapter is also dealing with important socioeconomic, ecological and cultural industry/impact variables causing region specific development and planning. So, a survey was conducted to collect the primary data in three different places of Sikkim, namely, Gangtok, Namchi, and Mangan to assess tourism development. Two sets of different questionnaires were prepared for guests and hosts to know why tourists travel and what impact variables are predominating in Sikkim. In a nutshell, this chapter has also empirically examined the tourist arrival and consequent purposes contributing to tourism impacts and resulting in destination disparity.
