To mark National Tourism Day, the Himalayan Hospitality & Tourism Development Network (HHTDN), in association with the ministry of tourism, Eastern Region Office, Kolkata, organised several programmes in Siliguri on Monday.

Among the initiatives was the national integrated database of hospitality industry (NIDHI), aimed at promoting Aatmanirbhar Bharat by leveraging technology to empower the hospitality sector. NIDHI aspires to be more than just a database, it aims to serve as a gateway to opportunities for the hospitality industry.

Advertisement

Over 60 stakeholders registered during the workshop, which included a presentation to encourage registrations and secure approvals from the tourism ministry. Restaurants, tour operators, and transport service providers participated actively, with notable brands like Mayfair and Marriott completing their registrations.

A tree plantation drive was also conducted this morning in ward 23 of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (Dabgram area). The event saw the planting of several trees, with participation from local residents, students from the hospitality and tourism management programme institute, and ward councillor Lakshmi Paul.

A Tourist Cab Drivers’ Skill Development Workshop and Training programme was another highlight of the day. It was decided that cab drivers would introduce themselves as ‘Sarathi’ to establish a friendly and professional rapport with tourists, promoting better behaviour and fostering a positive image for the region’s tourism sector. This concept draws inspiration from the past practice of referring to drivers as guruji in the region. Inspector-in-charge of Siliguri Junction Traffic, Ridam Saha, conducted sessions on road safety, accident prevention, and adherence to traffic rules.

“The programmes were designed to promote better, qualitative, responsible, and sustainable tourism practices while ensuring world-class service for visitors to this region. Our vision is to make the Sarathis both guides and storytellers, enhancing the overall tourism experience,” said the general secretary of HHTDN, S Sanyal.

Other resource persons included Raj Basu, Sanjay Banerjee, and Sushovan Sammadder, who contributed to the training sessions. The events aimed to align with the larger goal of strengthening the region’s tourism and hospitality industry through community participation and professional development.