Queen of Hills returns to former glory within months of peace

MP | Kolkata: Within a few months of peace restoring in Darjeeling, it has once again turned out to be the favourite hill destination for people from different parts of the country and abroad alike.

It may be mentioned that the tourism industry in Darjeeling had received a major hit, with trouble engulfing the Hills.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had taken necessary steps with requests from the people of the Hills and had held an all party meeting for restoration of peace. Subsequent steps were also taken for development in the Hills.

According to Suvasree Ganguly, who looks after the operation part in the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation, said: "Booking for the Darjeeling Tourist Lodge starts six months in advance and it remains booked most of the time."

There were also a good number of enquiries related to different tourist spots in Bengal, in the Parjatan Utsav 2018, that kicked off on Friday.

It has been organised by the state's Tourism Department and Travel Agents Association of Bengal, at Khudiram Anusilan Kendra.

The fair, that started on Friday, will continue till Sunday. It will remain open from 11 am to 8 pm. A total of 65 tour operators have participated in the fair.

In the past few months, the transportation facilities have improved and people can now reach Darjeeling from the plains more easily.

Besides Darjeeling, the people have also enquired about different places in the state, including places in North Bengal like Dooars and Lataguri.

It may be mentioned that for the first time, a business summit was also organised exclusively for the Hills, which was held in Darjeeling. So, the number of people visiting Darjeeling for business purposes would also increase.

It may be mentioned that the travel loving people of the state have also shared their interest of visiting other places in the country, during their visit in the fair.

After listening to people, the operators felt that many of them are also showing interest in visiting places like Leh, Ladakh and some parts of the North East.

People are favouring Leh and Ladakh, as at

present Kashmir is not a favourable place for them to visit, owing to the situation prevailing there.

It may be mentioned that now, people are also preferring to visit hamlets close to Darjeeling, where home stays are coming up in a big way. One of the main reasons for visiting such hamlets is to enjoy the scenic and natural beauty of the place.

There are many such hamlets, where home stays are now available, from where clear view of Kanchenjungha is possible.

It may be mentioned that with the development of infrastructure in the Hills, more tourists are getting attracted to Darjeeling and it is one of the reasons behind the increase in passenger load at Bagdogra Airport.