Sikkim tourism numbers clash: Centre cites higher domestic count than state data for 2026
A gap of more than 11 lakh domestic tourist visits has emerged between Union Ministry figures and Sikkim Tourism Department data for 2026, raising questions on
A discrepancy has come to light in Sikkim’s tourism figures, with data cited by the Union Ministry of Tourism in Parliament differing from figures published by the state Tourism and Civil Aviation Department.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha dated August 10, Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said Sikkim recorded 23,52,725 domestic tourist visits and 43,734 foreign tourist visits in 2026. The reply stated that the numbers were provided by the state Tourism Department.
Domestic figures differ by over 11 lakh
State records show a lower domestic count for the same year. According to Sikkim’s tourism data, the state recorded 12,34,325 domestic tourist visits between January and June 2026. The department’s monthly figures add 71,789 domestic visits for July, taking the January-July total to 13,06,114.
The difference between the Centre-cited domestic total for January to June and the state’s January to June number is 11,18,400 visits. This gap forms the core of the dispute reported from the two datasets. Officials said the state data is compiled regularly and that the state’s monthly and daily reporting would make such a large omission unlikely.
Foreign tourist gap also appears
The mismatch is not limited to domestic arrivals. The state department’s figures list 32,618 foreign tourist visits between January and June 2026, while the Union minister’s reply cited 43,734 foreign visits for 2026. The report notes that such gaps can arise when reporting periods, definitions, or methodologies differ, but the issue has raised questions about how the figures were matched in Parliament.
The tourism trends also show different recovery patterns. Based on state data, domestic tourism reached 13.06 lakh visits between January and July 2026, compared with 16.55 lakh for the whole of 2025, 15.40 lakh in 2024, and 14.22 lakh in 2019. Foreign tourism, however, has remained lower than pre-pandemic levels, with 32,618 foreign visits recorded in the first half of 2026 compared with 68,992 for all of 2025 and 1,33,388 in 2019.
