Tour infrastructure gets fillip in north

AVIJIT SINHA, TT, 21 May 2019, Siliguri : The state tourism department has decided to set up resorts in the Darjeeling hills and footh ills,buoy ed by surge in the inflow of visitors to north Bengal throughout the year. 

The projects will be executed by the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Limited that functions under the department. Among the projects are an eco-resort at Kalej-Valley in the Jorebungalow-Sukhiapokhri block of Darjeeling district, cottages near Fulbari Wetlands at the southern end of of Siliguri and resorts at Deolo and Jhalong in Kalimpong. 

"There is a plan to build around 100 rooms at Kalej - Valley in two phases. Fulbari will get 15 cottages. Resorts will crone up at Deolo and Jha­long in due course. Once all the projects are completed, it is expected that there will be around 170 additional rooms for tourists," said a source.

The tourism department plans to set up infrastructure for different adventure sports and a sky observatory at Kalej-Valley, a hamlet nestled in the Darjeeling hills.

 

"We also intend to set up a conference hall at Kalej-Val­ley so that the site can attract tourists as well as corporate woups," said an official.

In Fulbari, where thousands of migratory birds flock the wetlands every year, the plan is to set up single-sto­ried cottages with a viewing deck and a restaurant. The destination is expected to at­tract ornithologists and more bird watchers.

The WBTDCL will estab­lish a history museum at Gaj oldoba, which is located on the bank of the Teesta and around 25km from Siliguri. 

"A mega tourism hub called Bhorer Alo is com ing up at Gajoldoba. At the same loca­tion, we plan to build tilemu­scum which will have glimpses of the 19th century Bengal. A conference hall with a capacity of around 200 people and allied facilities will also be built on the premises of the museum," the official said.

 

The government will con­struct a convention centre or a MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions) hub for the first time in north Bengal. A three-acre plot has been identified at Gossainpur that is off Asian Highway 2 be­tween Siliguri and Bagdogra for the project.

As of now, there is no such convention centre in north Bengal where business meets, exhibitions, marts and fairs can be organised. Whether it is the state government or the business organisations, they have to depend on hotels or have to set up temporary pavilions on government land for the events.

"The idea of the conven­tion centre was mooted at the Bengal Travel Mart and the department has accordingly taken the initiative. The cen­tre will have conference and exhibition halls, banquet, guest rooms, parking and all other necessary facilities," said the official.

The WBTDCL initiatives have been welcomed by stake holders of tourism.

"The inflow of tourists is on the rise in the region and any initiative to increase the accommodations would help the industry. Also, additional infrastructure like the pro­posed museum and the con­vention centre would help bring in more visitors," said Samrat Sanyal, the general secretary of the Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism De­velopment Network.