Sikkim tourism bodies oppose IMF’s plan to become the single contact for mountaineering permits.
The Indian Mountaineering Foundation‘s (IMF) intention to take sole authority over the approval, regulation, and coordination of all mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayan State has been strongly opposed by Sikkim’s tourism and mountaineering players.
The tourism stakeholders expressed their grave concerns about the IMF’s written request to the Sikkim government that all mountaineering expeditions to scale Sikkim’s peaks be directed through the foundation for marketing and revenue collection on behalf of the government in a joint memorandum addressed to the State Chief Secretary. The stakeholders in their representation stated, “We, the representatives of various Sikkim tourism stakeholders, strongly oppose this request of the IMF to be the sole conduit for obtaining permits and them collecting revenue from us stakeholders.”
Travel Agents Association, Sikkim Association of Adventure Tour Operators, All Sikkim Travel & Hospitality Association, Sikkim United Tourism Organisation, and Sikkim Mountaineering Association all signed the memorandum. According to the groups, local Sikkimese tourist professionals and stakeholders have expressed “serious concerns and resentment” over the IMF proposal. We respectfully ask that the current recommendation that the associations submitted to the chief secretary to designate the IMF as the single window authority be withheld. According to information obtained, the IMF wrote to the State administration on November 15, 2025, requesting a close partnership to promote adventure tourism in Sikkim. Its capacity to speed the necessary approvals for excursions from Central authorities, as well as its global network and affiliations with Alpine clubs worldwide, were noted by the IMF. In the letter, the IMF asked the government of Sikkim to “as is the practice in other Himalayan States, recognise the Indian Mountaineering Foundation as the single-window authority for clearance, regulation, and coordination of all mountaineering expeditions, Indian and foreign, within the State.”
There are now five Sikkim alpine summits that are accessible for mountaineering. However, the local players argued that the IMF shouldn’t be given such a significant role and responsibility of supervising all the local adventure tourism stakeholders because it is a private company. It was argued that this would start a risky trend of monopolistic practices run by a small group of individuals from a private organisation. It was clarified that while the IMF idea could have made sense a few decades ago, Sikkim is now self-sufficient in terms of local labour and technical resources for mountaineering.
The association warned that if the IMF proposal is approved, it will undermine local sentiments, especially the strong cultural and spiritual ties that Sikkim’s indigenous communities have to the mountains and the natural environment, as well as the livelihood of skilled local guides and mountaineering labour.
According to the groups, it will also lessen commercial prospects for regional trekking organisations, tour operators, and related service providers, which will favour or marginalise the interests of Sikkim’s tourism players. The associations also stated that they believed “all powers and permission to climb mountain peaks must lie with our democratically elected State government, and that any policy related to mountaineering and adventure tourism in Sikkim must prioritise local empowerment, preserve local rights, and protect the economic ecosystem that has been developed over decades.”
