Siliguri: Tourism stakeholders hope that inflow of visitors to
the Darjeeling hills will be normal during the coming summer season,
months after tourists were forced to scramble out of their lodgings
following the sudden resumption of the Gorkhaland movement.
"The situation is completely normal in the hills now. We are
confident that footfall of tourists will increase during the summer
season and onwards. Our members have been receiving queries from
different parts of India and even abroad. In fact, some tourists have
already made their bookings," said Debashis Maitra, the president of the
Eastern Himalaya Travel and Tour Operators' Association (EHTTOA).
On Tuesday evening, the EHTTOA representatives elaborated on
the "achievements" of the third edition of the Bengal Travel Mart that
was held here from February 16 to 18.
"There were over 11,000 B2B (business to business) meetings
among buyers (people who send tourists) and sellers (local tour
operators) at the event. The meets will have a positive impact on the
tourism industry in north Bengal and indicates that buyers from across
the country are interested in sending tourists here. Moreover, they were
taken to familiarisation trips to the hills where they have seen that
normality has completely been restored," Sandipan Ghosh, the EHTTOA
secretary, said.
In 2017, the 104-day long shutdown and agitation had a
cascading effect on the industry that lost both the Durga Puja and
winter seasons.
An hotelier in Siliguri who has properties in the hills as well said
the tour operators could regain confidence of domestic and international
tourists to a considerable extent.
"We are getting a good number of queries every day. Unlike the
last four months of 2017, when the queries were few and reservations
were even less, things have started improving over the past one month or
so," he said.
The stakeholders also pointed out that the two-day business
meet that would be held in Darjeeling in the middle of March will also
help the tourism industry.
"The chief minister would be present, along with
office-bearers of the GTA to invite entrepreneurs to invest in the
hills. This effort will surely help us get more tourists," said the
EHTTOA secretary.
Further, visits of officials like the vice consul for consular
affairs of the US Consulate General's office in Calcutta, Samantha
Jordan, will encourage international tourists to come to Darjeeling,
said the stakeholders. Jordan is currently on a visit to Darjeeling.
Jordan, sources said, is visiting the region in continuation
of the US Consulate General's efforts to build sustained engagement in
north Bengal.
U.S. consul general Craig Hall had visited Siliguri twice last
year, in July and on November. As a part of her outreach, Jordan on
Wednesday met some prominent people associated with travel trade in
Darjeeling.
"She wishes to assess the current situation and explore the tourism potential of Darjeeling," said a source.
The Telegraph
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