Stakeholders of the travel industry, along with the Alipurduar district administration, have lined up a marathon and a tourism fest in the district next month to promote tourism in the Dooars during the monsoon.
In the Dooars, the footfall of tourists dwindles in the rainy season as the reserved forests remain closed from mid-June to mid-September every year.
Raj Basu, convener of the Association for Conservation and Tourism (ACT), an organisation that has been working in north Bengal and some other states to promote sustainable tourism practices, said the event was planned to promote “monsoon tourism” to attract tourists to the Dooars.
“It will be the second edition of the tourism festival to promote the Dooars during the monsoon. In August, we have planned some events with local communities to showcase the region. The idea is to get more tourists in the rainy season through such events as the reserved forests remain closed for visitors,” said Basu.
On Tuesday, representatives of several tourism stakeholders held a meeting with R. Vimla, the district magistrate of Alipurduar, at Dooars Kanya, the district collectorate.
According to the organisers, there will be a marathon, other adventure sports, a food festival, and an exhibition of handicrafts made by local artisans next month.
“The ‘Dooars 25 K Monsoon Marathon & Tourism Festival’ will begin on August 8. It will be a three-day fest. The marathon (25 kilometres long) is a major attraction of the event,” said a source.
The race will start from Madarihat and will end at Falakata. Last year, around 374 runners from across the country and also from Nepal and Bhutan had joined the race.
Added to it, there will be other adventure sports like cycling and rowing. “In the food fest, ‘Boroli’ (a fish that is found in the Teesta and some other rivers of north Bengal) will be showcased. Also, artisans and small entrepreneurs dwelling across the district will exhibit handicrafts, handloom products, and other items,” the source added.
For the event, organisations like the Bhutan-India Friendship Association (BIFA), Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Young Indians, and Falakata Town Club have lent support to the upcoming event.
Vimla, the district magistrate, said multiple committees would be formed to manage each event.
“Efforts will be made to ensure the participation of local institutions and different organisations. We want to showcase the Dooars as an ideal destination during monsoons,” she said.