Tamluk, Aug. 15: The Digha-Shankarpur Development Authority has decided to make it compulsory for hotel owners in Digha, Mandarmani and Tajpur to display their room tariffs at the hotels for tourists to see following complaints that some were charging exorbitant rates during weekends and holidays.
Officials of the Digha-Shankarpur Development Authority (DSDA) said the crowd in these beach resorts had swelled after the rail link between Digha and Howrah was established in 2004.
"After rail communication was established, the number of tourists has increased substantially. We have come to know from various sources, including tourists, that some hotels charge double or more than their usual room tariff. This will hurt the reputation of our tourist spots," said DSDA vice-chairman Akhil Giri, who is also the Trinamul MLA from Ramnagar under which the beach areas fall.
"We have decided to make it mandatory for hotel owners to display their tariff structure at the hotel for tourists to see. The hotel owners will also have submit the tariff structure to us (the DSDA)," Giri added.
DSDA officials said between Saturday and Monday about 25,000 tourists thronged Digha, Mandarmani and Tajpur. Officials said that on average 25 lakh to 30 lakh people visit the beach resorts every year.
Giri said that after discussions with DSDA officials it was also decided that surprise checks would be done in hotels during weekends and holidays at the three tourists spots to find out whether the hotels were charging the correct tariff. "We will talk to the tourists and find out whether they are being charged extra during rush days," Giri said.
Bipradas Chakraborty, the joint secretary of the Digha-Shankarpur Hoteliers' Association, said: "Unlike many other tourists spots, we don't have ups and downs in the tariff as it is the tourist season here throughout the year. So there is no system of any off-season discount."
A case in point about alleged tourist harassment was the experience of 35-year-old schoolteacher Abinash Mukherjee from Bagnan in Howrah. Mukherjee said: "I came to Digha with some friends on Sunday. We found all the hotels were booked. We saw touts on the street who took us to a hotel where I had stayed six months ago. The hotel management demanded Rs 1,500 for a room for which I had paid Rs 500 six months ago. We did not stay in Digha and took the evening train home."
Chakraborty, the hoteliers' association joint secretary, agreed that there were "some hotels which are resorting to black marketing". He said: "They create an artificial crisis by telling tourists all rooms are booked. They have contact with local touts who bring them customers who take the rooms at higher prices. We will fully co-operate with the DSDA when the decision is implemented."
Chakraborty said the hoteliers would help identify the unscrupulous owners where the DSDA officials can make surprise checks.
Giri said the matter would discussed at the board meeting of the DSDA on September 3.
"We will take the decision on the display of tariff structure and the submission of the details to us. Also, we will decide with the hoteliers' association what kind of steps can be taken if hotels charge extra from tourists," Giri said.
