Tourism in Bengal is back in the reckoning in the post-pandemic world. Dr. Saumitra Mohan, Secretary, Department of Tourism, West Bengal provides valuable insights on the various steps taken by the state tourism department to offer a thrust to tourism in the state that would benefit one and all.
The state of West Bengal, blessed with all geographical diversities ranging from the Himalayas to national parks and wetlands barring the desert is back on the tourism vertical. The state occupies the sixth slot when it comes to receiving domestic travellers.
Dr. Saumitra Mohan explained, “Our latest agenda is to boost tourist arrivals in India, particularly in Bengal. Tourism is one such activity that has tremendous potential for livelihood. Our major focus is to increase the contribution of tourism to the Indian economy. Nearly 5 lakh global tourists visit the state. The state government has formulated policy architecture and our homestay and tea tourism policy are already in place. We are currently working on a public-private partnership (PPP) policy, adventure tourism policy, incentive policy, and tourism service provider policy. Tour operators must register themselves in these policies to lure more travellers. More such architectures are required in the state to offer a boost to the tourism sector. It is essential to make these tourism policies more hassle-free. There should be sensitization on capacity building among tourism stakeholders.”
Dr.Mohan was speaking at Travel India 2023 conclave hosted by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in association with the Union Ministry of Tourism. Supported by the department of tourism, West Bengal, the conclave was held in Kolkata on January 19 and 20. It aimed to delve into the opportunities and challenges faced by the tourism industry of the country.
The conclave had sessions like Sustainable Tourism for the future that focused on health and wellness tourism with a special focus on AYUSH. There were other interesting sessions on Developing East and North-East as a hub of MICE tourism, Skill Development in the tourism sector: The way forward, and Myriad Faces of Tourism in India.
We all talk about sustainable and responsible tourism which are quite complex aspects. Mohan said, “We all are responsible for providing an impetus to sustainable tourism by minimizing the usage of plastic. Homestay goes down well with our concept of sustainable and responsible tourism. State tourism provides options for water tourism and we have identified around 20 lakh acres of water bodies in the state. We would prefer to encourage cruise tourism. The states like Kerala have fared well in wellness tourism. Bengal is making a commendable presence in medical tourism and occupies the second position in terms of easing tourism projects and receiving approvals for tour operators. We do offer incentives to adventure tour operators.”
The need of the hour is to enrich the experiences of tourists. Mohan further said, “The state tourism needs to interact with the stakeholders for investments to pour in. Glamping has emerged and caravan tourism is another area of interest for tourists that we can look into. The state is endowed with rich cultural diversity. Recently, UNESCO has recognized Durga puja as an intangible cultural heritage. We have to provide seamless access to tourists.”
A number of tourist destinations have come up in the state. Mohan added, “The northern part of the state is replete with lush tea gardens. Offering a thrust to tourism is all about innovation. It’s time to learn, adapt and replicate tourism models from other states. Better skilling and usage of our resources will help to strengthen tourism in the state.”
By
Swaati Chaudhury
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