There is a good news for the travelers as the most popular hill stations of West Bengal Darjeeling and kalimpong are now open for the travellers.
As the government of West Bengal has also allowed hotels across Darjeeling and Kalimpong, to start function, but of course, have to follow strict safety precautions. However, the relaxation doesn’t apply to those lying in the containment zones.
“Now that the hotels have opened up we are optimistic that tourists would start arriving and the tourism industry would roll back to normal in a phased manner. We are expecting tourists soon,” Sangey Tshering Bhutia, president of Darjeeling Hotel Owners’ Association told Hindustan Times.
Tourism is one of the main sources of revenue in hilly regions, as almost 15 to 20 per cent of the local population relies heavily on the hospitality sector for livelihood. This is also one of the main factors why hotels and all sorts of other service providers are going the extra mile to implement all safety and social distancing measures.
As per media reports, many hotels have decided to maintain a gap of three days between the re-allotment of rooms. They have also temporarily scrapped the buffet system. Other measures being implemented are — regular sanitisation of the area, compulsory masks and gloves for the staff members and temperature screening of every guest upon arrival.
“As many tourists prefer to take shared jeeps and buses to the hills from Siliguri bus stand and NJP railway station the drivers would maintain social distance among the tourists while ferrying them to their destination. They would be taking only half the passengers they used to take during pre-COVID times,” Hindustan Times further quoted SN Pradhan, president of Himalayan Transport Coordination Committee, as saying.
Such steps are surely reassuring for travellers who are planning a take a trip to Darjeeling or Kalimpong anytime soon.
Also Read: World’s First Happiness Museum Opens In Copenhagen
