Tourism industry in the Dooars will suffer a loss of around Rs 700 crore this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown, according to a preliminary estimate worked out by the stakeholders of the travel sector.

The estimate is based on the total turnover in the tourism sector in the Dooars, which was around Rs 720 crore from March to middle of October last year.

“This year, we have almost lost the summer season... We also doubt whether tourists will turn up during the Durga Puja holidays, considering the economic impact of the ongoing lockdown. Altogether, it seems the industry will lose around Rs 700 crore this year vis-à-vis the turnover of 2019,” said Biplab Dey, assistant secretary, Dooars Tourism Development Forum.

In the Dooars, there are around 275 accommodations ranging from homestays to resorts, located at places like Lataguri, Dhupjhora, Chalsa, Malbazar, Madarihat, Chilapata and Jainti, with an inventory of 3,000-odd rooms.

“The tourism season starts from March, and from April and onwards, the occupancy rate at accommodations ranges from 80 to 90 per cent. The season continues till the middle of June and resumes in the third week of September. The lockdown will be in force at least till May 17 and we doubt any tourist will come till June even if the lockdown is withdrawn,” pointed out a resort owner in Madarihat.

In the Dooars, around 1.6 lakh people are directly and indirectly involved with the tourism industry. They include employees of resorts, cab drivers, guides, members of cultural dance troupes and traders.

The inflow of tourists declines in the Dooars from June to September every year because forests remain close from June 16 to September 15. Tourists cannot enter core areas of forests for safaris or take elephant rides during the closure period.

“We largely bank on summer, Durga Puja and winter seasons. But the Covid-19 pandemic has come as one of the biggest challenges for the Dooars tourism industry that has flourished in the past two decades. Most of us are keeping fingers crossed with the hope that there would be some tourists during Diwali and after,” said Ujjwal Seal, a tour operator in Maynaguri.

The tourism stakeholders also mentioned that the sector had been hit so badly that a section of resort owners was planning to sell their properties to repay bank loans. Similar situation is faced by vehicle owners who need to pay EMI. The vehicle owners’ earnings have dried up in the past one-and-a-half months.

Samrat Sanyal, the general secretary of the Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network, said central and state governments should support the industry.

“Tourism is affected at the beginning of any crisis and is among those sectors which bounce back at the last. It is one of the major sectors of north Bengal in terms of employment. The Centre has already formed a task force to look into this distressed sector and we hope in due course, both the central and the state governments will stand help us,” said Sanyal.