Now, just scan your mobile for a Corbett safari

NAINITAL: Forget early morning queues, settings with touts and the hassles of paperwork for booking a Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) safari, just click on your mobile to book the night stay and day trip now.

A web portal is being set up by the National Informatics Centre that will enable visitors to book permits online after which they will get a QR code on their registered mobile number. This code will be scanned by guards at the reserve to allow entry to visitors.

Earlier, visitors had to book permissions to enter the reserve for day safari and night stay from the official CTR website. They had to produce the printout at the entry point to be examined by the gatekeeper thoroughly taking up at least 10-15 minutes.

With the proposed initiative, web bookings will be done in three steps compared to eight steps in the present system, thus saving a lot of time and hassle.

On completing the process on the portal, a message will be delivered on the registered mobile number with a QR Code. This code will be scanned at the entry point that will take just seconds to verify the authenticity of the visitor.

Commenting on the proposal, Hari Singh Mann, president of Corbett Hotel and Resort Association, said, “The new system will be easier and tourist friendly. Owing to the hassles, many people don’t opt for Corbett but now the park’s footfall will increase.”