The tourism industry, which has been forced to walk on eggshells by the Covid-19 pandemic, has been immediately hit by the partial lockdown announced by the Bengal government starting Monday.
Cancellations have started pouring in Darjeeling hills but the damage is worse in the Dooars.
The state government has closed down all “tourist places”, meaning tourist sites, including entry to national and wildlife sanctuaries.
A Siliguri based tour operator said: “Other than forests, there is no location where a tourist can go in the Dooars. This is why lot of cancellation has started in the Dooars.”
“We have started getting cancellations,” said Samir Singhal, treasurer, Darjeeling Hotel Owners’ Association.
A Darjeeling hotelier said many bookings were postponed following the fresh curbs.
Police and government officials evicted tourists and traders from various south Bengal tourist spots like Santiniketan in Birbhum and Digha in East Midnapore as part of the new restrictions.
Several stalls in Sonajhuri haat of Khowai in Santiniketan were forced to vacate the area and many tourists were asked to leave by Santiniketan police.
“No one will be allowed to visit the Sonajhuri haat, deer park or bank of the Kopai from now on,” a police officer said.
Police and senior officials on Monday met with hoteliers in Bolpur and Santiniketan.
Hoteliers were asked to allow tourists in half the existing capacity and not to allow anyone without both doses of the vaccine.
Digha protest
A large police team on Monday morning raided the sea beach of Digha and asked them to clear the area, prompting protests by tourists and bathers.
“We have come here to enjoy the beach and have a bath. We can’t understand why we are being stopped on the beach when everything else (hotels) is open,” a tourist said.
Hotels at tourist destinations are open but visitors questioned why they would stay in hotels if tourists spots are closed.
“We have verbally requested the administration to allow the tourists to sit on the beach maintaining social distancing norms,” said Bipradas Chakraborty, the joint secretary of Digha-Shankarpur Hoteliers’ Association.