KOLKATA: October witnessed a spike in the footfall of tourists visiting the Hills with some homestays registering over 60% occupation. Though hotels and homestays reopened in July this year after remaining shut for over five months due to the pandemic, the tourism business did not pick a pace before October that saw one of the highest footfalls in the Hills due to Durga Puja and school vacation.
People in the Hills are expecting a second surge of tourists from the Kali Puja-Diwali weekend when many from Kolkata and other towns go there to avoid air and noise pollution.
“The situation was not as good as previous years but there were still a lot of tourists. Almost the entire region depends on tourism and people were struggling to make ends meet. It was a huge relief to see tourists return. The situation may improve as we approach Christmas,” said Prasant Pradhan, general secretary of Himalayan Homestay Owners’ Association.
Most tourists preferred to stay in homestays that ensure isolation from the crowds, a key aspect during the pandemic. Homestays on the outskirts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Lava, Loleygaon, and Mirik were in demand.
Abhishek Mazumdar, a resident of Chetla visited Mirik with his family and a friend’s family. “We were nine people in all and booked a homestay just outside Mirik. There were no other tourists around. We just stayed in Mirik and visited a couple of spots in the vicinity. It was like staying in your own property, which was important during the pandemic,” said Mazumdar, a businessman. “Many people are avoiding to stay in hotels, but we are taking all precautions in Covid times,” said Shyam Thapa, owner of a hotel in Darjeeling.