Kalimpong, the hill district that was once famous for agriculture and horticulture, has also emerged as a tourism destination for its diverse attractions, including adventure tourism, bird watching and handicrafts.

The increase in the footfall of tourists, on one hand, prompted the stakeholders of the tourism industry to come up with a comprehensive website to attract more tourists to the district. On the other hand, local youths have taken initiatives to promote rural tourism by hosting traditional events, including paddy plantation programmes where tourists can join.

On Monday, the Kalimpong District Tourism Welfare Society launched www.kalimpongtourism.org, a website where tourists can search for various rural locations and identify places of their interest.

Norden Michael Lepcha, secretary of the Society, said the main objective of launching the website was to promote rural tourism, especially homestays, which have mushroomed across the district.

“We are trying to provide a platform to the owners of homestays which are in remote rural areas and also to the local taxi owners so that tourists can directly contact them without any middleman. Also, we are promoting small entrepreneurs who have come up with new projects on horticulture, food processing and handicrafts so that they also develop a direct linkage with tourists, who are potential buyers, through the website,” he said.

Dawa Gyalpo Sherpa, field director of the tourism department of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, has welcomed the initiative.

“This initiative brings the diverse and vibrant tourism destinations of Kalimpong — from the bustling town to remote gems like Todey-Tangta and Mulkharka — onto a single platform. It also empowers the local stakeholders by providing a direct business-to-customer (B2C) channel,” said Sherpa.

In another move, some local youths, under the banner of “Ghumaon Kalimpong,” are promoting traditional activities where tourists can participate during their stay in the district.

Bivek Rai, the founder of Ghumaon Kalimpong, said that on Saturday, they organised “Ropai Fest,” a traditional paddy plantation programme, at Pringtam, a village located around 18 kilometres from the district headquarters.

“We are trying to attract the local youths to be aware of the cultural tradition of our district. They, in turn, can bring in tourists who can also join such events,” he said.

Tourism has emerged as a source of livelihood in Kalimpong with several homestays being launched in villages.