Darjeeling hotels get govt nod to reopen for tourists

KOLKATA: Hotels and restaurants in Darjeeling and Kalimpong will finally start opening from next Tuesday, after remaining shut for over two months. Tourists from Kolkata, who have slowly started moving out of their homes, even amid the pandemic were elated at the news.
In a late-evening circular, the district administrators stated that operation of hotels and restaurants will be allowed outside containment zones.
“We held several meetings to pave a way for reopening of the hotels. With people slowly leaving their homes and opting for short vacations, we are hopeful to see tourists return to the hills. Once trains become operational, tourists are likely to increase,” said Pradip Lama, secretary of Darjeeling Association of Travel Agents.
As Covid-19 forced people indoors, hotels in Darjeeling had decided to shut down from July 1 as it was not feasible to operate. The decision left nearly 10,000 people associated with 400-odd hotels in Darjeeling without jobs.
“The peak tourism season, mid-March to mid-June, is over. But we are getting many queries for the next season that starts in October. We have now got a few bookings for September,” said Debanjan Bose of Spring Brook Homestay in Darjeeling. Saibal Pathak, who runs a chain of homestays in the hills added: “We will start sanitization operations from Sunday. We hope bookings soar after the three lockdown days next week.”