Siliguri: Paro, the international airport of Bhutan, is in practice a gateway to the entire eastern India too. None can deny that the betterment of Paro can boost tourism as well as other businesses in eastern India. But the ground-level capacity augmentation work at the airport is now stalled. Reason? In the main, the lack of Indian initiative to fulfill its own commitments.
Paro, located in a deep valley on the bank of the river Paro Chhu at an elevation of 7,300 ft and surrounded by peaks as high as 18,000 ft (5,500 m), is considered one of the world's most challenging airports with a very limited number of pilots certified to land there. That too, in favourable visual meteorological conditions during daylight hours only.
"Paro is only a couple of hours drive from eastern Indian tourism hubs like Guwahati or Siliguri. And we have an open border between India and Bhutan. Thus, with its link with international gateways, Paro is a two-way passage for tourists to and from eastern India. At least 40% of the premium foreign tourists visiting the eastern Himalyan region prefer tagging up Bhutan with eastern India. Naturally Paro is too important," said veteran tourism consultant Mr. R Basu.
30/06/14 Debasis Sarkar/Economic Times
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Paro, located in a deep valley on the bank of the river Paro Chhu at an elevation of 7,300 ft and surrounded by peaks as high as 18,000 ft (5,500 m), is considered one of the world's most challenging airports with a very limited number of pilots certified to land there. That too, in favourable visual meteorological conditions during daylight hours only.
"Paro is only a couple of hours drive from eastern Indian tourism hubs like Guwahati or Siliguri. And we have an open border between India and Bhutan. Thus, with its link with international gateways, Paro is a two-way passage for tourists to and from eastern India. At least 40% of the premium foreign tourists visiting the eastern Himalyan region prefer tagging up Bhutan with eastern India. Naturally Paro is too important," said veteran tourism consultant Mr. R Basu.
30/06/14 Debasis Sarkar/Economic Times
