📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Joydeep Chakraborty
Travel
Sikkim Tourism Department to Require Digital Registration for All Hotels and Homestays from Sept 1
✍️ India Today NE
🗓 29 Aug 2026, 06:38 PM
👁 19
From September 1, the Sikkim Tourism Department will mandate that every hotel and homestay complete an online registration, aiming to streamline licensing and improve visitor safety.
The Sikkim Tourism Department announced that, effective September 1, all hotels and homestays operating in the state must register digitally on the department's portal. The move is part of a broader effort to modernise tourism administration, ensure compliance with safety standards, and provide real‑time data on accommodation capacity.
Operators will be required to submit details such as property address, ownership documents, fire‑safety certificates and room inventory through the online system. Failure to register by the deadline could result in suspension of the establishment's licence to operate.
Tourism officials said the digital platform will also help tourists verify the legitimacy of a stay before booking, thereby enhancing confidence in Sikkim’s hospitality sector. The department has pledged to offer technical assistance to small‑scale homestay owners who may lack internet familiarity.
The directive aligns with the state government's push for e‑governance across sectors and is expected to improve revenue tracking for tourism‑related taxes. Stakeholders have been urged to complete the registration well before the cut‑off date to avoid service disruptions.
Operators will be required to submit details such as property address, ownership documents, fire‑safety certificates and room inventory through the online system. Failure to register by the deadline could result in suspension of the establishment's licence to operate.
Tourism officials said the digital platform will also help tourists verify the legitimacy of a stay before booking, thereby enhancing confidence in Sikkim’s hospitality sector. The department has pledged to offer technical assistance to small‑scale homestay owners who may lack internet familiarity.
The directive aligns with the state government's push for e‑governance across sectors and is expected to improve revenue tracking for tourism‑related taxes. Stakeholders have been urged to complete the registration well before the cut‑off date to avoid service disruptions.