A shikhara glides on the waters of the Dal lake in Kashmir, gilded in the light of the setting sun

Darjeeling, May 3: The Queen of Hills is losing out to the Paradise on Earth.

Kashmir is calling and droves of domestic tourists are giving Darjeeling the go-by, especially those hailing from Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Though the trickle of domestic tourists has continued, industry insiders admit that the peace initiative with Pakistan has taken a toll on hotel bookings here.

?People are heading for Kashmir. It is definitely a major attraction, especially after years of strife in the region. People from the western part of the country have started cancelling their trips to Darjeeling,? said Pradip Lama, the secretary of Darjeeling Association of Travel Agents.

Lama, who also runs a travel agency, said that of the 17 major groups he had roped in from Gujarat and Mumbai, only one is scheduled to visit Darjeeling.

Suresh Periwal, the representative of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (north Bengal and Sikkim chapter), also admitted that with the Valley beckoning tourists once again, Darjeeling had started losing out.

?For tourists from Gujarat and Kashmir, it is more convenient and cheaper to head for Kashmir,? said Periwal.

A tourist wanting to visit this part of the country has to spend around three days to reach Siliguri. Flights are not availed due to poor infrastructure and pricing, he explained.

?A flight from Delhi to Bagdora will cost one anything around Rs 15,000. This means that for a family to visit Darjeeling, they have to spend at least 1 lakh just on flight tickets. Moreover, they have to hire a vehicle and come up to Darjeeling and that is more expensive than going to Kashmir, especially when it comes to tourists from the western part of the country,? said Periwal.

While the domestic scene has been affected, the inflow of international tourists continues to rise.

?We have witnessed an increase of about 20 per cent in the arrival of foreign clients, and this can be wholly attributed to the problems in Nepal,? said Periwal.

Though insurgency in Nepal started in 1996, it was only of late that the tour operators have been able to sell north Bengal, Sikkim and Bhutan as safe and attractive destinations.

Industry sources said though around 30,000 foreigners have been visiting the hill town annually, the number of international tourists has already crossed the 45,000-mark this year.

However, the flow of foreign tourist stops from mid-April, ?once the mercury rises in India? while domestic tourists continue to flock the hills till the end of May.

Though the number of domestic arrivals has not yet been considered bleak, industry watchers admit that the trickle of tourists well past the ?normal months?, which has grown into a trend over the past few years, might not continue.