Siliguri, March 16: Had it not been for the majestic Kanchenjunga, Deepak Malhotra would have thought up excuses to avoid the annual conference of his fast-moving consumer goods company held here last week.

But given the “heavenly” beauty of the Batasia loop and the “musical chug” of the heritage toy train, Deepak felt the target-driven sermons of the bosses would be more than welcome.

Keeping in mind the Deepaks in their ranks, corporate houses and business establishments across India have started holding their annual general meetings, conferences and seminars in this region, a trend first noticed around four years ago.

“We chose Darjeeling for our annual conference for its newness,” said A.K. Das, the secretary-general of the Association of Nuclear Medicine Physicians of India, over phone from Patna. More than 300 physicians will be attending the annual conference of the association in October.

“Regular business meetings are held at places like Goa, Mumbai and Chennai and do not create much excitement. Darjeeling is lesser known and I am sure it will make our conference worthwhile,” he added.

“The basic idea of these trips is to mix business with pleasure. While Darjeeling and Gangtok are favourites, other places like Mirik and areas in the Dooars are also sought after. Nowadays hotels are also upgrading the existing infrastructure to match the needs of such groups,” said Raj Basu, the president of East Himalayan Travel and Tour Operators’ Association.

Despite the rise in the number of corporate tourists in the region, north Bengal still has a long way to go.

“The region handles only around 1 to 2 per cent of the total corporate tourism of the country. Destinations like Goa, Kerala, Bangkok and Singapore are still much more popular. A more focused promotion is needed to give this brand of tourism a boost in this region,” said Deepak Gupta, the coordinator of the tour operators’ association.