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With the surge in the number of tourists visiting the popular destinations in West Bengal, local governments in different parts of the state are urging local tourism stakeholders to ensure that only fully vaccinated travelers or those with negative COVID-19 test reports are allowed to book hotels, lodges and homestays.
Popular destinations where the regulations have already been implemented are Darjeeling Hills, Dooars and Digha and the adjacent beaches.
On July 13, the local government for the Darjeeling Hills and Dooars region mandated that travelers coming to these locations from outside West Bengal must be in possession of a certificate that they have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine or carry a negative RTPCR report not older than 48 hours upon arrival.
The media quoted the Darjeeling District Magistrate as saying that all parties involved were informed of the rules and urged to strictly implement them. Effective immediately, the rules apply to people arriving from out of state and not to West Bengal residents.
However, the administration of Contai (Purba Medinipur), which runs Digha and a number of other popular beaches like Mandarmani, Tajpur and Shankarpur, has implemented the rules for all travellers, including those from West Bengal.
With the easing of regulations to contain the pandemic and the resumption of tourist buses between Kolkata and these destinations, there was a significant influx of tourists in the first weeks of July.
The administration ruled on July 12 that only those who are in possession of a certificate that they have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, or who carry a negative RT-PCR or RAT, upon arrival in Digha or the nearby beaches are not older than 48 hours are allowed to book a hotel in these seaside resorts.
Local hoteliers and others dependent on the tourism industry fear the new rules could hurt business. According to many of them, not everyone, especially those in the 18+ category, received the dual vaccine. Retrieving the test reports can also be time-consuming. The various bodies of travel and tour operators in Darjeeling and Dooars are also awaiting clarification from those travelers combining a visit to the region with a trip to Sikkim.
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