Tourists scrap Bengal vacations fearing trouble, industry prays for puja turnaround
Times of India | 30 August 2024
Kolkata: Many foreigners, including expat Indians, are cancelling or putting on hold their Durga Puja special trips to West Bengal, fearing trouble and lack of safety in the state, thanks to the heinous crime on RG Kar Medical College and Hospital campus and the subsequent incidents like lingering protests for justice, vandalism and bandhs happening throughout this week.
Tour operators and travel agents are praying for a change on the ground before puja as the tourism industry of the state banks largely on the footfall of visitors during the festive season. During Durga Puja every year, a large number of foreign tourists, including NRIs, come to Bengal from US, Australia, France, Germany, UK, Italy, Thailand, Ireland and Africa among other countries.
Anil Punjabi, national committee member of Travel Agents Federation of India said, “In the past five years till 2023, the footfall of tourists, especially foreigners, to Bengal grew by 10% to 18% during Durga Puja as per our record. But this year we have been witnessing a negative trend as many foreigners as well as people from other states of India are showing reluctance to visit Bengal during the festival, fearing safety and security issues after the RG Kar incident. We are making an appeal to the govt for restoration of the situation in Bengal.”
Debjit Dutta, chairman of Indian Association of Tour Operators in West Bengal, said, “The ongoing agitation relating to women’s safety is alarming and sending out a negative message to international travellers. The matter needs to be addressed immediately before the festive season kicks in.”
Meghdutam Travels with offices across the world had to cancel their roadshows to promote Durga Puja tourism in New York, Toronto and Montreal in Canada as citizens there are skipping their tours to Bengal.
Gautam Gurbani, general manager of The Expedition, a travel agency in Thailand, said, “A group of Thai tourists was scheduled to leave for Bengal in Sep-end for a puja trip, but after the RG Kar incident, they are no longer feeling safe and asked us to change their destination to Nepal. So, we cancelled their booking for Bengal.”
A tour operator Md Danish in Africa said, “Many Indian expats go on trips to Bengal during puja from here, but we are not getting any booking this time. Having spoken to some clients, we found them to be reluctant.”