12. Socio-economic Development Through Tourism: An Investigative Study for the Himalayan State Sikkim, India

Having been accorded the status of the largest service industry in India, tourism is an instrument for economic development and employment generation, particularly in remote and backward areas. Tourism in the Indian Himalayan Region has shown a perpetual and increasing trend over many decades despite several disasters and crises. Sikkim is one of the peaceful and hospitable small Indian states that boasts of rich ecological and cultural diversities. Tourism in almost all the alpine regions of the Indian sub-continent is conceptualized to have been a means of spending from disposable and discretionary income, mostly for non-essential activities. This old and stagnant idea has been changing drastically as tourism either energies through a total long-lasting experience or an essential mean of the present time. On the supply side aspect, it is imperative to provide new avenues for income and employment in the destination. This article has dealt with the modern socio-economic environment of tourism in the backdrop of its essential sustainable development indicators. More specifically, this article has shown how the tourism phenomenon is influencing the ecology and community benefits with important tourism marketing and destination supply trends. The study is based on primary data collection of tourists and local communities in Sikkim, and the statistical tool used herein is Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance.