DARJEELING/KOLKATA: Sikkim has decided to ban entry of foreigners to insulate itself from the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), leading to wide-spread fears among travel and tour operators and hoteliers in Darjeeling that bookings would be cancelled.
A blanket ban has been issued for permits to visit Nathu La that borders China.
“Darjeeling and Sikkim are inter-linked tourist destinations. Overseas tourists usually spend four-and-a-half days in Sikkim and two-and-a-half days in Darjeeling. Now that they will not be able to travel to Sikkim, they are most likely to cancel the Darjeeling leg of their visits and go elsewhere for week-long holidays,” said Amit Periwal, the proprietor of Clubside Tours & Travel, who spent most of Thursday, informing his clients in the US and Europe about the development.
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