Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay on Sunday launched the EKAYA Wellness Festival at AATTC, Bardang, an initiative aimed at promoting experience-based tourism in Sikkim.
The ceremony was carried out in the presence of Minister for Education, Sports and Youth Affairs, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Departments, Raju Basnett and MLA-cum-Advisor for Information Technology (IT), Land Revenue & Disaster Management Departments, LB Das.
Conceptualised by the Pakyong district administration in partnership with Ebb and Flow and other stakeholders under the Sikkim INSPIRES programme, EKAYA seeks to connect tourism with local communities, livelihoods, culture, cuisine, wellness and nature.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister congratulated the organisers and stakeholders on the launch of EKAYA.
He assured support for the development of experience-based tourism as a component of Sikkim’s tourism sector and encouraged greater participation of local communities, entrepreneurs, youths and other stakeholders.
The inaugural programme featured the screening of an opening video and the release of the official festival poster.
EKAYA seeks to expand tourism beyond conventional sightseeing by enabling visitors to participate in activities connected with local communities and their way of life.
Participants get an opportunity to experience such activities through visits to villages, homestays, farms and craft spaces. The initiative also enables participants to understand local practices, materials, livelihoods and cultural traditions.
EKAYA is aligned with the objectives of Sikkim INSPIRES — Integrated Service Provision and Innovation for Reviving Economies, a Government of Sikkim initiative supported by the World Bank.
The programme focuses on expanding economic opportunities and strengthening employment and entrepreneurship linkages for women and youth.
Officials from various departments were present at the event.
