Watsupptoday Desk


Stakeholders in the tourism industry are keen to restart business in the Darjeeling hills in the coming Durga Puja and Diwali season, but they are not being able to guide prospective visitors as the authorities have not decided about allowing hotels to resume operations, tour operators said.

The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), an autonomous district council, has banned the entry of outsiders in Darjeeling and Kalimpong to combat the spread of coronavirus.

An association of tour operators on Wednesday said that thousands of people linked to the tourism industry have been out of work for the last several months in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts.

�We are getting queries for booking for the Durga Puja and Diwali season, but unless there is a decision by the GTA on allowing tourists to the various spots in the hills, we are unable to guide them properly,� Raj Basu, Convenor of Association for Conservation of Tourism, said.