Another set of changes in online bookings for Corbett, unrest amongst various stakeholders

For those planning a trip to the Corbett Tiger Reserve, it is likely to be a smooth sailing if you book your stay and safari online. The reserve management and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) has once again effected several changes in the Corbett’s website for the benefit of the tourists.

Among others the NIC has resolved issues pertaining to session getting timed out while feeding the one-time password (OTP), the number of bookings that can be done through one OTP, and the number of bookings allowed per IP address.

Both the Gypsy owners and hoteliers had been protesting against the problems arising out of the OTP issue. In the earlier system, OTP was generated against the phone number of each individual who was part of the group. By the time OTP could be fed into the system, the session used to get timed out. This had led to tourists facing difficulties even as Gypsy owners and hoteliers bore the brunt of their anger.

To ease out this problem, the reserve management will now issue as single OTP against one booking, in which a person could book a day visit for up to six people.

“We have made changes in the OTP window. Now one person can make the booking for a group with only one OTP,” Parag Madhukar Dhakate, acting director of Corbett, said.

Online bookings contribute over 90% to the earnings generated through tourism activities at Corbett. More than 2,500 people log in on the Corbett website every day to book safaris in the six tourist zones or to book one of the 75 rooms available for rent there, as per officials.

Recently, it came to light that certain people— believed to be tour operators — were making bulk online bookings for day visits and night stays thereby blocking regular tourists. After a probe, the Corbett management had identified six IP addresses through which bulk bookings were done.

An IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network using internet protocol for communication.

The reserve management had later modified the website to allow only booking per IP address. This limited the chances for the tourists. The hoteliers too were upset over this clause, as it restricted their chances of business.

The officials said it was likely that they will allow up to three bookings from one IP address. It means that by using one IP address, three bookings for six people each can be made.

Also, after the reserve management detected five cases where Indian tourists had made bookings using foreign quota, it has now been decided that foreign tourists would be allowed to make the booking 90 days in advance.

“From now, besides asking for the passport number of the foreign tourists, we will also seek the pin code of the area where they reside, and their cell phone number,” Dhakate said. The OTP will be generated for the said cell phone number bus using which the foreign tourists can continue with their booking.

The reserve opens up for tourists from November 15 and closes on June 15. Nearly 3 lakh tourists visit Corbett during seven months period.

Corbett is believed to have the highest density of tigers and recorded over 200 big cats during All India Tiger Estimation 2015.