DGHC's positive notion about The DHR & Darjeeling Tourism

Darjeeling: The DGHC’s proposal to create a new tourist point by extending the toy train link to Tiger Hill has brought cheer to the tourism industry.

“This is definitely good news as we need more tourist attractions to sell Darjeeling for longer tours,” said Suresh Periwal, chapter chairman, Indian Association of Tour Operators (north Bengal and Sikkim).

More than 50 per cent of the town’s population is directly or indirectly dependent on the tourism sector. However, with Sikkim increasingly opening up new destinations, the Queen of the Hills seems to be losing out.

“Right now we can sell a weeklong package to Sikkim. Tourists can be taken to all the four districts there. In Darjeeling, on the contrary, tourists stay only for three days. If the joy ride on the toy train can be made into a whole-day affair, their stay can be extended at least by a day,” Periwal said.

According to Periwal, an estimated 45,000 foreign tourists visited Darjeeling during the last season, of whom almost 90 per cent took the train ride. “For the Japanese the ride is a must. Given that Tiger Hill is also a popular destination, a ride there will be a good addition to the tourism itinerary,” he said.

Though the DGHC has made it clear that it will seriously address all environment concerns, experts feel that the council could do better with a change in the route.

“Instead of going up to Tiger Hill, the council should press the railways to extend the rail link right up to Lebong where there are fewer trees,” said Bharat Prakash Rai, general secretary, Federation of Societies for Enviornmental Protection.

Environmentalists are at the moment waiting for the DGHC to finalise its proposal before commenting on the project. In the past, the construction of an airport at Tiger Hill had been stopped as it involved the felling of a large number of trees.

Source: The Telegraph