The Sikkim government has decided to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ascent of Mount Kanchenjunga on September 17 and 18 in Gangtok in a style befitting the occasion, A K Srivastava, commissioner (tourism), government of Sikkim, told rediff.com.

"Invitations have been issued to more than 300 distinguished mountaineers who have climbed Mount Kanchenjunga and Mount Everest in the last 50 years," he said. Other persons related with mountaineering, particularly in Sikkim but also from around the country, have also been invited to join the festivities.

The Department of Posts would be releasing stamps, special covers and a philatelic exhibition on the first day of the celebrations.

The government hopes to attract a large number of tourists for the event. "Sikkim is becoming a tourist destination. We have about 3 lakh tourists visiting the state every year and this includes 14,800 foreign tourists. By 2011 we expect the number of tourists visiting the state to almost double," Srivastava said.

"Namchi, a southern district, has emerged as a new and vibrant tourist hub after the inauguration of a 135 feet high statue of Guru Padmasambhava at Samdruptse," he said.

The state government spends Rs 40-45 crore every year on tourism, which is the biggest budget among the North-Eastern states.