Bengal has a diverse spread of landscapes and the state tourism department is waiting to cash on the enormous tourism potential of the Dooars region.
Swaati Chaudhury
West Bengal is endowed with a huge diversity from the Himalayas in the north to the Sundarbans in the south and the monsoon season provides an opportunity to plan your next escapades in the state.
Inaugurating the Travel and Tourism Fair 2023, Babul Supriyo, Minister-in-Charge, Tourism, Information Technology and Electronics, Government of West Bengal said, “Travelling is a hereditary trait of Indians who love to explore new destinations. Bengal is one such state that always remains at the top in the minds of travellers during peak tourist season. Come Durga puja and travel is in the air to rejuvenate our mind and soul. West Bengal has lots to offer in the sphere of tourism. Tourism has been the worst affected industry during the pandemic times. With the pandemic settling down, we are striving to transform the state into a front-ranking tourist destination. The prime goal is to have a proper representation of one’s state. With the support of the state tourism department, we would prefer to have tourism transfer and exchange programmes in terms of cuisine and culture where tourists from all across the globe can visit Bengal and other parts of India. Once we visit any tourist destination, we get to explore a lot. Take for instance the Dravidian architecture that is a marvel. One needs to explore Bengal and discover its vast tourism potential.” The tourism minister also averred that in recent times it is easier to travel to Bangkok than the hill resort of Darjeeling. Most travellers from Bengal have made a round of Bangkok.
The fair marked the participation of 25 Indian states and was held in Kolkata from July 14 to 16, this year. Organized by Fairfest Media Limited, the fair had Thailand as the featured country.
Tour operators form an integral part of the tourism industry. The tourism minister further said, “The tour operators play the role of a catalyst to ignite a fire in the minds of travellers. At the same time, they provide job options to scores of the younger lot. The travel companies need to entice travellers from all over the country to travel to Bengal. There should be a tea tour or Durga Puja tour of Bengal.”
The state government is bent upon offering thrust to all its significant tourism projects. The tourism minister added, “Bengal has its exotic folk culture, traditional music, and mouth-watering cuisine. There are a plethora of attractions in North Bengal and Cooch Behar needs to be unravelled. If tea tourism is highlighted well, it can go great guns.”
Besides, the state tourism department has plans to develop Lepchakha, the last settlement on the Indo-Bhutan border into a model tourist hamlet.
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