Bookings for hotels, homestays swell, tourism sector upbeat

Siliguri: The tourism sector is brimming with optimism as the upcoming Durga Puja festive season seems promising.

Industry insiders report that 60 to 70 per cent of the hotel, homestays and travel bookings have already been completed in the Hills and Dooars, signalling a significant uptick in business.

The closure of Lachung in North Sikkim can decrease tourist footfall in the neighbouring state of Sikkim, which can somehow affect the tourism business. Stakeholders are requesting the Sikkim government to reopen the place as the situation in Sikkim is gradually improving after the flash flood that occurred last

year in October.

“Last year we received good bookings. However, there were cancellations due to flash floods in Sikkim. This year too, National Highway 10, the lifeline to Sikkim, is frequently shut down due to landslides. Queries have started. We hope we will receive a packed tourist season during the upcoming festival. Many hotels, homestays, and tour packages in Darjeeling and Dooars have already been booked,” said Samrat Sanyal, Secretary of the Himalayan Hospitality Tourism Development Network (HHTDN). The Durga Puja season commences during Durga Puja and continues for over a month.

Durga Puja festival traditionally sees a huge rush of tourists in this region. Most tourists come to this region with a tour package of the Sikkim-Kalimpong-Darjeeling circuit. Therefore, the flash floods and closure of NH 10, the only connecting route from Siliguri to Sikkim, affected the business last year. However, as things have started looking up, tourism stakeholders are hopeful that more bookings will take place in the coming days. The demand for homestays in rural destinations is high also. A tourism stakeholder and owner of a homestay said: “70 per cent of hotel rooms and homestays have been booked already. Queries are coming in for Sikkim, as the weather is changing with heavy rains subsiding. We are expecting

more bookings.”