Sustainability Issue in Tourism: A Case Study of Yuksam Village, Sikkim

Abstract

North  East  India  is  blessed  with  abundant  tourism resources, which are unique in their own way. The flora and fauna of this region is regarded as one of the seven most bio-diverse regions of the world. Among the States in this region, Sikkim is quite a popular destination with both the domestic and international tourists. It is perhaps the only state, where one can travel 3500 meters above the sea-level in a space of 160 km. Sikkim is thus a trekker‟s paradise,  offering  a  unique  opportunity  to  trek  to  Mt. Kangchen-Dzonga.  The  gateway  to  this  mountain  is  a small  village  called  Yuksam  in  South  Sikkim.  Trends reveal  that  Yuksam  is  in  the  developmental  stage  of increasing  growth  of  tourist  influx,  which  would  also have  implications  on  the  infrastructure,  environment, natural resources, culture and eco-tourism of this village. So  this  paper  aims  to  study  how  tourism  in  Sikkim, Yuksam in particular, can be sustained.