Darjeeling, June 16: The picturesque hill station was teeming with tourists just a few days ago but the sudden turmoil and indefinite bandh called by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha seemed to have dealt a body blow to tourism, one of the two main industries in the hills.
After Thursday’s violence, tension prevailed in the hills and hardly any tourist is visible on the deserted roads, including the one leading to the mall. Several tourists who had come to enjoy the scenic beauty of the ‘Queen of Hill Stations’ were finding it difficult to get down safely to the plains.
“We only know how we managed to reach Siliguri safely. We had a harrowing experience and we will never come back here,” said Gargi Adhikary, who had to cut short her trip to Darjeeling by five days. The stranded tourists were highly inconvenienced as most of the hotels, restaurants, eateries remained shut and there was hardly any bus or vehicle.
“We are waiting for a bus since 5.30 am but none is available to take us to Siliguri,” another tourist, Aninda Bhaduri said. Several foreigners, who camp in the hills during this season, to enjoy trekking, have left. Tourism and tea gardens are the two major industries in the hills, generating over 80 per cent employment.
The tourist season in Darjeeling starts from April and continues till Durga Puja in September-October. During the season lakhs of tourists visit Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik. “This time it is a total loss for all of us. Those who had booked hotels during puja have already started cancelling them. Due to this agitation, the entire tourism industry in north Bengal is going to be affected,” chairman of eastern chapter of Travel Agents Federation of India, Anil Punjabi said.
According to tour operators, the revenue generation during the peak tourist season runs into crores. Punjabi said, the turmoil will also hit the inflow of NRI tourists to the hills.
Press Trust of India
