Cash registers ringing for DHR and BSP
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and Bengal Safari Park have both earned record revenues—the former of Rs 3.57 crore in May 2023, its all-time highest for a month since its inception in 1881, and the latter of Rs 5.65 crore in FY 2022-23, also its all-time highest in a fiscal.
Two major attractions of Bengal, both in the northern part of the state, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) and Bengal Safari Park (BSP) have seen record footfalls, their highest ever.
DHR, in fact, has set an all-time record, said Priyanshu, its director. May saw the hill railway, also known as the toy train, a UNESCO World Heritage and one of India’s most popular rides, take in 30,303 passengers, the highest-ever number in one month since its inception in 1881. This helped it rake in Rs 3.57 crore in a single month.
The previous highest, said sources, was exactly a year ago—May 2022 saw 26,909 passengers hitch a joyride on the toy train, earning for the company Rs 3.19 crore.
As for Bengal Safari Park, located near Siliguri, another huge hit with tourists, fiscal 2022-23 saw it entertain a record 2.87 lakh tourists, helping it earn an all-time record Rs 5.65 crore, said Rahuldev Mukherjee, the assistant director of the park.
