Hill state thrust to boost tourism

Darjeeling, March 31. - The Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council Tourism Department has decided to introduce new packages for domestic and foreign tourists from this season.

According to a department official, there will be both short and long tourist packages. The department, he said, with the help of private travel agents, has opened booking counters in Kolkata and Bombay and entered into a pact with hoteliers of Sikkim to arrange for a tourists' night halt there. Local sight seeing will also be arranged for tourists.

The tourists will be received at New Jalpaiguri station by the departmental staff and as per their programme tour packages to Chittra on NH-31A, Kalimpong and Sikkim will be organised with night halt facilities. Enquiry counters have been opened in several places to assist tourists. There is one counter at Siliguri, one at Kalimpong, one at Bagdogra and three counters in Darjeeling. The counters will remain open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The official said short tour packages will be provided from Mirik and Kalimpong - like Kalimpong to Lola - Lava, Garubathan, Chittra and Dallo and from Mirik to Manzu, Ranghang and Rohini. In Darjeeling, tourists will be encouraged to visit the new spots like Gangamaya Park, Jorpokhari (Sukhia), Shrubbery Nightingale Park and other places of interest. DGHC tourist vehicle will ply from NJP to Mirik and to Darjeeling and Kalimpong during the season time.

The tourist scene, which looked bleak during the past two years, has started looking up as is evident from the rise in hotel bookings. Many groups of south Indian tourists, it is learnt, have confirmed their hotel bookings. Darjeeling hoteliers have embarked on plans to promote tourism and decided to organise Gorkha community based food festivals from this year.

All the 15 DGHC tourist assistance cells will provide guidance and cultural programmes will be organised by private parties to entertain the tourists. After a decade, Mr. Subhash Ghising has taken interest in the renovation work of the Mirik lake part. The long-awaited work started from Saturday. Officials said that after beautification of the park the lake will be renovated.

The more, it is believed, will help Mirik to recover lost ground in tourism.

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