Temple Opening Sparks Tourism Surge in Digha: A Coastal Boom?

The picturesque seaside town of Digha in West Bengal is witnessing a boom in tourism, thanks to the recent opening of the Jagannath temple, which has resulted in a 20% surge in hotel occupancy. This development has brought large crowds of devotees and travelers to enjoy a short stay while offering puja at the temple.

Bipradas Chatterjee, joint secretary of the Digha Hoteliers Association, revealed that since the temple's inauguration in April, visitor numbers to the town have skyrocketed, with over 20 lakh people flocking to approximately 115 hotels in Old Digha and 600 in the New Digha region. However, Chatterjee remains cautious, stating that it is too early to predict whether this boom will be sustained or is merely a temporary influx.

The influx of tourists has also highlighted the need for infrastructural improvements, such as road widening and crowd management strategies during events like Rath Yatra. Despite some unscrupulous hotel owners hiking room tariffs, efforts are underway to enforce transparent pricing, with hoteliers collaborating with the state-run Digha Shankarpur Development Authority for long-term planning.

(With inputs from agencies.)