Tourism flourishes in Darjeeling

Darjeeling, Nov. 13 (ANI): Tourists have been flocking to Darjeeling after a massive earthquake rocked neighbouring Sikkim.

"We had come here in 2008, but we had to go back due to some problem. Since 'didi' (West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee) has taken up the government we have come here again," said Mrinalini Sengupta, a tourist from Kolkata.

Tour operators have been expecting a jump in tourist inflow to North Bengal, as tourists were still afraid to visit the quake hit Sikkim state.We are giving alternative destinations like Darjeeling, Kalimpong Lava, Lolegaon. These are becoming alternative destinations and sometimes some parts of Sikkim like Ravangla and.... which are okay we are giving preferences to those destinations also but we would like to inform that yes in Darjeeling, the number of tourists are more in Darjeeling and this area as compared to Sikkim where tourists are less this time," said Samrat Sanyal, a tour operator from Siliguri district.

Darjeeling with its varied landscape and spectacular beauty has been a favourite and affordable destination not only for the locals, but also for people across the globe.

Tourism in Darjeeling, which accounts for substantial revenues for the state tourism industry, has been badly hit since 2008 when the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) revived a violent stir in support of forming a separate state of Gorkhaland.

Now, the internationally famous hill resort is hoping to return to its good old days after the inking of a peace accord in July in this year. (ANI)