Bhowmik in Siliguri on Friday before leaving for Darjeeling. (Kundan Yolmo)

Siliguri, Aug. 29: Over 60 hotel-owners from 17 districts of Bengal arrived here today on their way to Darjeeling to take part in a seminar that will try to dispel whatever apprehensions tourists may have about spending this year’s Puja vacation in the hills.

The Conglomeration of Bengal Hotel Owners and the Janmukti Hotel Owners’ Association (formerly the Darjeeling Gorkha Hotel Owners’ Association) are jointly organising the seminar in collaboration with India Tourism. The meet will be held tomorrow.

“Our members will go back to their respective districts after the seminar and spread the word among travel agents that Darjeeling is safe to visit during Puja. We will also hold a news conference in Calcutta and hope that the media will convey our message to the public,” said Tarapada Bhowmik, the president of the Conglomeration.

Bhowmik added that Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung had been invited to the seminar as a special guest. “The party has already said there would be no bandhs during the pujas. We believe that the leaders want to create an atmosphere conducive to tourism in the coming months,” he said.

In May, the Morcha had called an indefinite strike to demand Gorkhaland and forced tourists to leave the hills overnight.

The seminar is expected to focus on the need for better coordination between the central Morcha leadership and workers at the grassroots level to prevent isolated incidents of violence in tourist spots. It will also discuss the ‘GL’ number plates and how it might affect tourist movement in the hills.

The Morcha recently announced that all private vehicles registered in the Darjeeling district must sport ‘GL’ (Gorkhaland) number plates instead of ‘WB’ (West Bengal). In the tourist season, a lot of people go to the hills in private cars, which can be stopped for sporting ‘WB’ plates.

The participants are also expected to discuss a suggestion to set up ‘May I Help You’ booths not only at Bagdogra Airport and New Jalpaiguri railway station, the two main entry points to the hills, but also along the way to Darjeeling from Siliguri. “We will seek the help of the local Morcha leaders as well as the administration to set up a booth every 15km,” said K.C. Ghosh, the vice-president of the Conglomeration.

Tour operators in Siliguri said the Morcha chief had promised them that the party’s volunteer force, Gorkhaland Personnel, would help tourists if they faced any problems.

Sanjay Bhutia, the president of the Janmukti Hotel Owners’ Association, to which about 80 per cent of the hotels in Darjeeling are affiliated, said four helpline numbers would be set up to assist tourists.