The Sikkim government has started collecting an entry fee of ₹50 from each tourist this month.

Sources in the state tourism and civil aviation department said the fees would be charged by hotels when tourists checked into the accommodations in any corner of the state that sits on the China border.

“Last year, the Assembly passed the Sikkim Registration of Tourists Trade Act 2024 wherein it was mentioned that the state can impose a fee on tourists for the development of the sector. It has been implemented from this month,” said a source in the department.

Initially, the state will not charge the entry fee for children aged below five years or people who are visiting the state for government work.

“Once a tourist pays the fee, he or she will be allowed to explore Sikkim for one month. However, if the tourist leaves the state even for a day during this period and re-enters Sikkim, the same tourist will have to pay the entry fee again,” the source added.

If the tourist stays in the state for a month, he or she will not have to pay the fees again if the tourist checks into any other accommodation at the same or different location in Sikkim.

The money that will be collected as the entry fee will be deposited in the tourism sustainable development fund (TSD) of the state.

“The state intends to use the revenue that will be generated from the fee to improve tourism infrastructure and services. These include the enhancement of road connectivity and improvement of cleanliness. The idea is to ensure a better experience for people visiting the state,” said an official.

Those associated with the tourism sector in the region have welcomed the initiative but have simultaneously pointed out that the decision to impose the fees should be widely circulated so that tourists visiting the state are well aware of it.

“It is not a major amount. But when it comes to a large group, it matters. We welcome the decision and hope the funds will be used for the improvement of tourism infrastructure. But at the same time, that the fee will be collected should be widely circulated and the decision should be displayed in hotels and other accommodations to avoid any confusion,” said Samrat Sanyal, general secretary, Himalayan Hospitality & Tourism Development Network, an apex body of tourism stakeholders in north Bengal and Sikkim.