Alipurduar, Aug. 30 -- The West Bengal Forest Department is set to reintroduce online booking for jeep safari tickets in the state's forest destinations, in a bid to curb alleged black-marketing and the activities of middlemen under the existing offline system. Tourism stakeholders have welcomed the decision.
Forest Minister Manoj Kumar Oraon said the move was aimed at making safari bookings easier for domestic and international tourists.
"We do not want tourists from India and abroad to face difficulties while obtaining jeep safari tickets. Therefore, the online ticket booking system is being reintroduced," Oraon said.
However, the department has not yet announced when the online system will become operational.
Online booking was discontinued on January 22, 2025, after former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced at an administrative meeting at Alipurduar Parade Ground that online booking of jeep safari tickets in reserved forests across the state would be stopped.
Following the shift to offline booking, allegations emerged that middlemen had become active around ticket counters and that tickets were being black-marketed. Many of the tourists are forced to stand in long queues at booking counters. The Forest Department subsequently received several complaints from tourists. After the change in government, senior forest officials raised the issue with the Forest Minister. Jeep safaris are currently available at Buxa Tiger Reserve, Jaldapara National Park and Gorumara National Park.
With online booking set to return, tourists will be able to book safari tickets remotely, select their preferred dates and plan their trips in advance.
Biswajit Saha, general secretary of the Eastern Dooars Tourism Development Authority, welcomed the decision, saying it would help prevent tourist harassment and allow visitors to book tickets from home.
Biplab De, joint secretary of the Dooars Tourism Development Welfare Society, said tourists would no longer have to stand in queues after reaching their destination. "The more convenience tourists experience, the more tourism will grow," he said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.