State tourism minister Shankar Ghosh held a meeting in Calcutta with tourism stakeholders on Wednesday and jotted down their suggestions.
Purnima Chakraborty, the minister of state for tourism, and senior officials of the department were present at the meeting.
“We have planned to prepare a road map for developing the tourism sector across Bengal and showcase the state as a global destination and the gateway to eastern and northeast India. That is why we held the meeting today to interact with various associations of stakeholders. We sought their suggestions so that a comprehensive plan can be drawn up,” Ghosh said afterwards.
According to him, the department has mooted a multi-pronged plan, including developing tourism for people of all economic groups, promoting the state as a global tourist destination and integrating various departments with tourism.
“The state government intends to create new employment opportunities in the tourism sector. We would simultaneously focus on conservation of nature and biodiversity and would promote responsible and sustainable tourism,” the tourism minister added.
Representatives of many associations spoke at the meeting, which continued for two and a half hours, and elaborated on various issues.
“We mentioned the severe traffic congestion along the Kurseong-Darjeeling route during peak tourist seasons. These days, it takes several hours to reach the hill town, and children, women and the elderly face the inconvenience of sitting in cars for hours. We have requested the minister to explore the option of developing alternative routes to reach Darjeeling,” said Tanmoy Goswami, who represents the Himalayan Hospitality & Tourism Development Network (HHTDN).
“We also underscored the pollution caused by a section of tourists who visit homestays in villages and remote areas where there is no solid waste management system. We hope the new government will address this issue,” he added.
Ghosh said that the associations had been asked to prepare presentations and reports and submit those to the department for the road map.
“They have also been told to get their members registered with the department so that quality can be maintained in delivering services to tourists. We do not want a single tourist to return from Bengal with any negative experience as it can deter others from visiting the state,” he said.
Debashis Chakraborty, the general secretary of the Eastern Himalaya Travel & Tour Operators Association (EHTTOA), also flagged some important issues at the meeting.
“In recent years, the tourism department hasn’t participated in national and global events hosted to promote tourism. This participation is essential to promote the state. Additionally, the tourism department, along with the forest department, can join hands with the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway to showcase the region in an integrated manner,” said Chakraborty.
“We have prospects for adventure tourism, right from the hills to the coast. This is another area where the department can focus on,” Chakraborty added.