The 6.8 earthquake has shaken the great tourist season in the Sikkim and Darjeeling

The 6.8 magnitude earthquake which occurred on September 18 has shaken the anticipation of a great tourist season this October in the Sikkim and Darjeeling hills. With Sikkim and Darjeeling being at the epicentre of the earthquake and the worst effected, anxious queries are being made by tourists who have already planned their holidays in this region.

Though the panic button has not been struck yet, the quake in North and West Sikkim, both favourite haunts of Himalayan travellers, is expected to cast a long shadow on the tourism sector this season.

According to a Hindustan Times report by Amitava Banerjee, a number of holidayers have already started leaving the popular leisure destination. “We had four rooms checking out. The guests were slated to visit Pelling from Darjeeling. However, they decided to head back home after the quake. There have been a number of queries from the guests who are scheduled to arrive in the next few days. They have been enquiring whether it is safe to visit the Hills,” stated Vishal, Front Office Manager of a Hotel.

In Sikkim the Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS) is working with other agencies for the evacuation of stranded tourists “We have formed help teams and are trying to evacuate the stranded tourists. There are around 1,800 tourists stranded in Gangtok at present. Many of them are in a traumatized frame of mind. Earthquakes are natural calamities and cannot be prevented. It is a part of life. Just because of an earthquake people should not cancel their scheduled holidays. If the roads are open then there will not be any other problems for the tourists,” feels Jitendra Lama, Chairman, Tours and Hospitality Division, TAAS.

With peace finally returning back to the Hills following the signing of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) agreement, a tourist rush had been projected. “We had packed bookings from the first week of October till mid-November. However with the quake, many are reluctant to visit,” stated a hotelier from Darjeeling.