Weekend getaway rush: N Bengal bus fares soar to flight heights

Kolkata: A mix of an extended Eid weekend, school summer vacation and a growing appetite for quick getaways has sent travel demand soaring in Kolkata, with bus fares to north Bengal becoming comparable to air tickets.Fares for luxury buses operating between Kolkata and Siliguri, which usually hover between Rs 2,000 and Rs 2,500, have shot up to Rs 4,500-Rs 5,500. Buses are running packed with full bookings during the May 27-31 holiday stretch.With Eid on Thursday, many Kolkatans seized the opportunity to stitch together a short vacation by taking a leave on Friday. From Darjeeling and Kalimpong in the hills to Digha and Mandarmani along the coast, and Santiniketan and Purulia in south Bengal, nearly every popular destination is witnessing a surge in occupancy. “Darjeeling is overflowing with tourists almost throughout the year now. The rush has intensified traffic jams but hasn't slowed down tourist influx. In fact, this long weekend is one of the heaviest in terms of tourist volume Darjeeling is witnessing,” said Pradip Lama, general secretary of Darjeeling Association of Travel Agents (DATA). “Everything is 95% booked till the second week of June.”Bhaskar Mukhopadhyay (77), a trekking and camping enthusiast, left for Kalimpong on Thursday with a younger group of travellers. Many others are turning to the forests of Dooars for a quieter retreat. Pinaki Biswas, owner of Unique Holiday Resort in Lataguri, said bookings for the weekend witnessed a significant jump. “There has been almost a 60% rise in bookings for the extended weekend. We are fully booked between May 27 and 31,” Biswas said.Rooms at the resort are currently priced at Rs 4,500 per night, including breakfast.Mandarmani continues to attract steady crowds despite growing competition from newer resorts and hotels.Deb Dulal Das, owner of Tarangamala Resort and secretary of Mandarmani Hoteliers Association, said tourists are increasingly opting for spot bookings instead of reserving rooms in advance. “All major hotels are running packed over the weekend,” Das said.Saurabh Mondal of Shantobitan Tourism Property, formerly Santiniketan Tourist Lodge under the Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (WBTDCL), said, “Weekends usually see nearly an 80% surge in bookings. Occupancy during weekdays remains around 50%, but rooms start filling up from Friday onwards. This weekend, however, we witnessed a surge in advance bookings and we are expecting a full house.”