Alipurduar: Tourism in the Dooars region, which was severely affected during the Puja season owing to heavy rainfall and floods, is showing signs of gradual recovery since last week.
North Bengal’s tourism sector faced a major setback on October 4, when torrential rains in Sikkim, coupled with a massive inflow of water and dolomite deposits from Bhutan, caused widespread devastation across the region.
Several resorts and lodges had suffered extensive damage during the floods, forcing large-scale cancellations and heavy financial losses for the tourism industry. The losses during the peak festive season were estimated at nearly Rs 500 crore, leaving tourism operators uncertain about survival.
However, with the onset of winter, dense fog and chilly weather are once again drawing tourists to the forests and wildlife destinations of the Dooars, offering some relief to the battered industry. Between December 20 and January 10, almost all lodges, homestays, and safari services remain fully booked in popular destinations such as Jayanti under Buxa Tiger Reserve, Madarihat, Chilapata, Salkumar in Jaldapara National Park, Lataguri, and Chapramari in Jalpaiguri district.
Heavy tourist footfall was witnessed at the car safari ticket counters of Jaldapara National Park on December 24 and 25, with many visitors unable to secure jungle safari bookings due to full occupancy within minutes of counters opening. Similar scenes were reported from Lataguri.
Ayan Naidu, a homestay owner in Jayanti, said his property is fully booked until January 3. “During the Puja season, we suffered severe losses due to cancellations caused by flooding. The Christmas and New Year rush has helped us recover to some extent,” he said.
Echoing similar views, Bishwajit Saha, General Secretary of the Eastern Dooars Tourism Development Association, said both the hills and the Dooars were hit simultaneously by floods during Durga Puja, devastating local tourism.
“This Christmas season has brought some relief. Almost all resorts and lodges are recording full occupancy,” he said, expressing hope for a stronger upcoming season.
Despite this, tourism stakeholders have noted a dip in bookings after December 26, with lodge occupancy dropping to around 50 per cent in areas such as Mal and Kalimpong. Biplab De, Joint Secretary of the Dooars Tourism Development Welfare Society, attributed this unusual dip to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. “Several tourists cancelled bookings after receiving hearing notices related to SIR,” he said.