Tourism in Dooars hit hard due to SIR, Assembly polls

Alipurduar: The tourism sector in the Dooars and North Bengal is witnessing a sharp downturn following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the announcement of the Assembly election schedule. These developments have significantly reduced tourist inflow since the beginning of the year, affecting the region’s economy.

According to industry estimates, bookings have dropped by nearly 60 per cent over the past four months compared to previous years. Tourism, a major economic driver in the region, supports a wide network of stakeholders—from hotel and resort owners to tour operators, drivers, and daily wage workers.

With electoral activities underway, many tourist destinations now appear nearly deserted, slowing overall economic activity. Raj Basu, convener of the Association for Conservation and Tourism, warned that several hotels and resorts are on the verge of closure. “Between January and April is usually the peak tourist season in North Bengal. This year, the SIR process discouraged visitors early on. The situation worsened due to the Middle East conflict, which has reduced foreign tourist arrivals to almost zero. Now, with elections, many domestic travellers have cancelled their plans. The losses are comparable to the COVID period,” Basu said.

Kinkar Roy, president of the Alipurduar Hotel and Resort Owners’ Association, said, “Leaves of state government employees have been cancelled, and bookings at many hotels and homestays have been withdrawn. While a few tourists are still arriving, destinations that are usually crowded from mid-March to April now remain empty. If this continues, many establishments may shut down, leading to job losses.”

Hopes of recovery after the board examinations ended in March have faded due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the election schedule.

Tour operator Ayan Naidu said: “Elections will end on May 4, and jungle safaris will close from June 15. Without safaris, more than half of the tourists lose interest.”

With peak season slipping away, the industry now looks to post-election recovery for survival