The Gurudongmar lake in North Sikkim

Siliguri, April 26: The valley flanked by snow-capped Himalayas and white cascades of the blue Yumthang Chu, invariably has visitors gasping: ?Oh my! It?s Switzerland!?

Not all visitors to this North Sikkim destination have ever been to the most popular hotspot in Europe, but Yumthang (11,800 ft) seems to fit the bill fine.

The breathtaking beauty that has made North Sikkim ? with its Lachung (8,500 ft), Lachen and Yumthang ? a tourist hotspot, has set a new trend in the Himalayan state?s tourism trade. ?Tourism in Sikkim is no longer limited to Gangtok, Tsomgo Lake and Pelling,? R.B. Subba, the state?s tourism minister, told The Telegraph. ?Our aim to decongest Gangtok and promote the entire Sikkim as one destination with something to offer to all visitors has paid off.?

Describing the tourism boom as ?phenomenal?, Subba said: ?The growth has been 15 to 19 per cent in the last three years alone. We are now coming up with a tourist resort at Chopta valley, which will be the first government property in North Sikkim. So far, there have been only private lodges, which are not up to the mark.?

From snow-clad mountains to rhododendrons, mauve primulas carpeting the green valley, hot-springs, yaks grazing on yellow patches and the warm hospitality of the Lachungpas and Lachenpas ? everything is a huge draw. ?For adventure lovers, the region also offers a number of trek-routes like the Greenlake and Phunithoka treks,? said Karma Bhutia, the vice-president of Travel Agent Association of Sikkim.

?A number of tourism packages for two, three and four nights have been developed,? Bhutia said. ?With the government helping us participate in tourism fairs, we have been able to popularise these packages.?