Samprati Motghare
IIM graduate, Batch of 2014
West Bengal has all the diversities of nature. The snow capped peaks of the Himalayas, Darjeeling, referred by many as the Queen of Hill Stations, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway declared as a World Heritage Site, the vast tea estates of the Dooars, the famed Royal Bengal Tiger of Sunderbans, the innumerable historical landmarks of India’s and Bengal’s glorious history, and long unending beaches with gentle rolling sea lined with Casuarina forests, are all wonders for the prospective tourists. Given the variance of the tourism sites in the State, West Bengal has something to offer throughout the year.
Performance of the sector
West Bengal has managed to attract 3-3.7% of domestic tourists, as a percentage of total domestic tourists of India. It performs much better in terms of foreign tourists by attracting close 8% of all foreign tourists coming to India. It is worth noting that this share of foreign tourists was close to 10.5% in year 2003 and it decreased gradually to 8.33% by 2010. Though the number of tourists has been increasing every year but as a share of total tourists of the country, state has not performed that well. This is the reason why there is increased focus to promote the tourism of the state by the new government.
Development of Tourism through Public Private Partnership Model: The state government has adopted the Public Private Partnership Model, followed worldwide. It includes Tourism Parks, Lodge (both economic and luxurious), Amusement Parks, Adventure sports, Helicopter and Sea- Transport services and numerous revenue earning projects.
Cultural Tourism: Cultural Tourism is, nowadays, considered to be an integral part of general tourism and the department of Tourism is trying to uphold enriched cultural pluralism of this state. Besides, Bauls, Chhou performers, flouteplayers etc., the Pata artists, creators of handicraft designs, experts in Kantha stiching, the Dokra fine-artists have been included in all the street exhibitions at home and abroad as part of this cultural tourism. The presence of these artists in the large-scale tourism-centric programme in London and Berlin has made the pavillion of West Bengal an important centre of attraction. In order to make available for the tourists, these kinds of cultural assets through lodging, centres of skill development, exhibitions and sales counters, the Department of Tourism at the same time, is upholding rural tourism.
Home Tourism: The Department of Tourism has laid special emphasis on Home Tourism in various tourist centres specially in Derjeeling and Dooars.
Heritage Tourism: Keeping in view enormous cultural and historical heritage, the state government has taken up a plan for the development of heritage sites of Malda and Murshidabad and the temples of Bishnupur from the viewpoint of tourism development. A project on tourism has been taken on Motijheel in Murshidabad involving Rs. 14 crore.
Beautification of Cities: A lot of projects have been undertaken for beautification of Kolkata, a city of heritage. One of these projects is the beautification of the river Ganga involving Rs 20 crore.
Besides, a project is being implemented by the Department of Tourism in view of maintenance, renovation and cultural artefacts of colonial heritage on the both sides of the river Hooghly with the assistance of the concerned embassies.
Taking tourism to remote destinations: Special emphasis has been laid on spread of tourism in places which has not yet captured the imagination of the tourists. It includes construction of tourist lodge at Gangarampur in the district of Dakshin Dinajpur, and construction of guest houses at Ramganga and Patharpratima in the district of South 24 Parganas. This apart, a district-wise narrative list of tourism destinations has been prepared.
Publicity: Keeping in view the marketing of the 'RUPASI BANGLA' (Beautiful Bengal), the Department of Tourism has been participating relentlessly in the Travel & Tourism Fairs organised at home and abroad. Few of these are International Trade Fair, IITM, IATO Annual Convention, WTM London, ITB Berlin etc.
Parting Thought
West Bengal has seen increased participation in, both domestic and international, travel and tourism fairs with more efforts towards renovation of tourist lodges and construction of new tourist lodges, and enabling connection to even the remote tourist locations, the future of tourism in West Bengal is looking bright.
IIM graduate, Batch of 2014
West Bengal has all the diversities of nature. The snow capped peaks of the Himalayas, Darjeeling, referred by many as the Queen of Hill Stations, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway declared as a World Heritage Site, the vast tea estates of the Dooars, the famed Royal Bengal Tiger of Sunderbans, the innumerable historical landmarks of India’s and Bengal’s glorious history, and long unending beaches with gentle rolling sea lined with Casuarina forests, are all wonders for the prospective tourists. Given the variance of the tourism sites in the State, West Bengal has something to offer throughout the year.
Performance of the sector
West Bengal has managed to attract 3-3.7% of domestic tourists, as a percentage of total domestic tourists of India. It performs much better in terms of foreign tourists by attracting close 8% of all foreign tourists coming to India. It is worth noting that this share of foreign tourists was close to 10.5% in year 2003 and it decreased gradually to 8.33% by 2010. Though the number of tourists has been increasing every year but as a share of total tourists of the country, state has not performed that well. This is the reason why there is increased focus to promote the tourism of the state by the new government.
Development of Tourism through Public Private Partnership Model: The state government has adopted the Public Private Partnership Model, followed worldwide. It includes Tourism Parks, Lodge (both economic and luxurious), Amusement Parks, Adventure sports, Helicopter and Sea- Transport services and numerous revenue earning projects.
Cultural Tourism: Cultural Tourism is, nowadays, considered to be an integral part of general tourism and the department of Tourism is trying to uphold enriched cultural pluralism of this state. Besides, Bauls, Chhou performers, flouteplayers etc., the Pata artists, creators of handicraft designs, experts in Kantha stiching, the Dokra fine-artists have been included in all the street exhibitions at home and abroad as part of this cultural tourism. The presence of these artists in the large-scale tourism-centric programme in London and Berlin has made the pavillion of West Bengal an important centre of attraction. In order to make available for the tourists, these kinds of cultural assets through lodging, centres of skill development, exhibitions and sales counters, the Department of Tourism at the same time, is upholding rural tourism.
Home Tourism: The Department of Tourism has laid special emphasis on Home Tourism in various tourist centres specially in Derjeeling and Dooars.
Heritage Tourism: Keeping in view enormous cultural and historical heritage, the state government has taken up a plan for the development of heritage sites of Malda and Murshidabad and the temples of Bishnupur from the viewpoint of tourism development. A project on tourism has been taken on Motijheel in Murshidabad involving Rs. 14 crore.
Beautification of Cities: A lot of projects have been undertaken for beautification of Kolkata, a city of heritage. One of these projects is the beautification of the river Ganga involving Rs 20 crore.
Besides, a project is being implemented by the Department of Tourism in view of maintenance, renovation and cultural artefacts of colonial heritage on the both sides of the river Hooghly with the assistance of the concerned embassies.
Taking tourism to remote destinations: Special emphasis has been laid on spread of tourism in places which has not yet captured the imagination of the tourists. It includes construction of tourist lodge at Gangarampur in the district of Dakshin Dinajpur, and construction of guest houses at Ramganga and Patharpratima in the district of South 24 Parganas. This apart, a district-wise narrative list of tourism destinations has been prepared.
Publicity: Keeping in view the marketing of the 'RUPASI BANGLA' (Beautiful Bengal), the Department of Tourism has been participating relentlessly in the Travel & Tourism Fairs organised at home and abroad. Few of these are International Trade Fair, IITM, IATO Annual Convention, WTM London, ITB Berlin etc.
Parting Thought
West Bengal has seen increased participation in, both domestic and international, travel and tourism fairs with more efforts towards renovation of tourist lodges and construction of new tourist lodges, and enabling connection to even the remote tourist locations, the future of tourism in West Bengal is looking bright.
