KOLKATA: From hills to plains to beaches, demand has shot up for Bengal’s favourite weekend holiday destinations during the long weekend between Eid-e-Milad on Thursday and Gandhi Jayanti on Monday. With a leave taken on Friday, it is possible to have a five-day break from September 28 to October 2.
“I had planned this long weekend trip some days in advance and had taken leave from office accordingly. My wife’s birthday is also on September 30 and we plan to celebrate it at Jhargram and Purulia with two other friends and their families,” said Pinaki Chatterjee, a finance executive and a resident of Behala.
Domestic airfares also seem to be peaking especially on leisure travel and religious tourism routes. A one-way ticket to Bagdogra from Kolkata selling at Rs 2,825 last Thursday, almost doubled to Rs 5,500 this week. Flight tickest for Bhubaneswar which were available between Rs 2,700 to Rs 2,850 last weekend shot up to Rs 5,500 this week.
Occupancy figures of two most popular long distance trains to New Jalpaiguri – Darjeeling Mail and Padatik Express – on September 27 and 28 showed a total wait listof 479 a week back. All trains to Puri, including Vande Bharat and Shatabdi Express, are packed to capacity. It is the same for trains to Varanasi.
“We wereplanning a holiday during Durga Puja but the air fares are too high and there are no train tickets available during the period. Hence, we planned this long weekend and are heading to Takdah and Chatapkur in north Bengal with my family and in-laws. I somehow managed to get tickets on Shatabdi Express,” said Soumya Mukherjee, a techie.
Pradip Lama, Darjeeling Association of Travel Agents (DATA), general secretary said there is likely to be a flurry of off-season tourists in Darjeeling over the next weekend. “The homestays at slightly off beat places in north Bengal are more in demand this time,” he added.
Chandranath Banerjee of Bolpur Shantiniketan Hoteliers’ Association said some hotels have tourist bookings from Wednesday night itself.
“I had planned this long weekend trip some days in advance and had taken leave from office accordingly. My wife’s birthday is also on September 30 and we plan to celebrate it at Jhargram and Purulia with two other friends and their families,” said Pinaki Chatterjee, a finance executive and a resident of Behala.
Domestic airfares also seem to be peaking especially on leisure travel and religious tourism routes. A one-way ticket to Bagdogra from Kolkata selling at Rs 2,825 last Thursday, almost doubled to Rs 5,500 this week. Flight tickest for Bhubaneswar which were available between Rs 2,700 to Rs 2,850 last weekend shot up to Rs 5,500 this week.
Occupancy figures of two most popular long distance trains to New Jalpaiguri – Darjeeling Mail and Padatik Express – on September 27 and 28 showed a total wait listof 479 a week back. All trains to Puri, including Vande Bharat and Shatabdi Express, are packed to capacity. It is the same for trains to Varanasi.
“We wereplanning a holiday during Durga Puja but the air fares are too high and there are no train tickets available during the period. Hence, we planned this long weekend and are heading to Takdah and Chatapkur in north Bengal with my family and in-laws. I somehow managed to get tickets on Shatabdi Express,” said Soumya Mukherjee, a techie.
Pradip Lama, Darjeeling Association of Travel Agents (DATA), general secretary said there is likely to be a flurry of off-season tourists in Darjeeling over the next weekend. “The homestays at slightly off beat places in north Bengal are more in demand this time,” he added.
Chandranath Banerjee of Bolpur Shantiniketan Hoteliers’ Association said some hotels have tourist bookings from Wednesday night itself.
