GTA to launch app having info about hotels, homestays & travel agents in Darj, Kalimpong

Another application will also be launched for tourist registration and serve as an important tool for the state govt & GTA for policy, decision-making 

Amitava Banerjee, MP, 1 Mar 2023 :  In a bid to help tourists visiting Darjeeling and Kalimpong, the Tourism department of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) will soon launch an application containing relevant information about hotels, homestays, restaurants and travel agents in this region. 

“The Tourism department of the GTA is coming up with two mobile applications. One will be for the registration of the tourists and the other will contain details of homestays, restaurants, travel agents, police stations, petrol pumps and all such information that tourists require,” stated Sonam Bhutia, Executive Director, Tourism, GTA. 

The first app would be an important tool for the GTA and the Government. “Darjeeling is one the most popular tourist destinations in the country. People from all over the world visit Darjeeling. However, we hardly have any records or statistics regarding tourists. 

The tourist registration App will serve as an important tool for policy and decision making,” stated the Executive Director. 

The second app will be available in App stores. “From the distance of a homestay to what cuisine they serve, tariff and contact numbers, the app will contact all such data. The app will have provisions for booking homestays and hotels. It will contain all the vital information that tourists require,” stated Bhutia. 

Incidentally, around 8.5 lakh domestic tourists and 47,000 foreign tourists had visited Darjeeling and surrounding areas in 2019-20. “Earlier, there used to be demarcated tourist seasons mainly the summer tourist season and the Puja tourist season in Darjeeling. However, this has changed. 

Tourists visit Darjeeling round the year. This year, there was a bumper winter tourist season,” stated Samrat Sanyal, General Secretary, Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network. Hotel tariff along with transport fare fluctuate in Darjeeling depending on the tourist rush. 

There are no metered taxis in Darjeeling also. Both tariff and fare increase manifold during the tourist rush. With such an app having all necessary details tourists can get a fare idea of hotel, homestay charges along with taxi fares. “We hope to come up with the App in the next two or three months” added the Executive Director. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/gta-to-launch-app-having-info-about-hotels-homestays-travel-agents-in-darj-kalimpong-510377