SUMMARY OF TOURISM POLICIES OF WEST BENGAL

Adventure Tourism Adventure tourism comprises trekking in the forests and the hills, mountaineering, mountain biking, rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, water skiing, yachting, river rafting, long-distance swimming and para sailing, car rally etc. Adventure Tourism will be promoted by the State Tourism Department in consultation with Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, the Forest and Environment Deptt., the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute at Darjeeling, the Netaji Institute of Sports (SAI centre) in Calcutta, the Sports and Youth Services Deptt. and various NGOs. Amusement parks An Amusement Park is always a centre of great tourist attraction. An amusement park in the Salt Lake area has been set up through a joint venture company of which the State Government is a partner. WBTDC is planning to construct an amusement park in Siliguri in collaboration with Siliguri Municipal Corporation and a private entrepreneur. Smaller amusement parks may be constructed in the district towns and big industrial towns. State Tourism Department in consultation with the District Collectors will identify and earmark suitable sites for this purpose and invite private sector to invest in such projects. Beach Tourism West Bengal has sea-beaches at Digha and Shankarpur in Midnapore district, Bakkhali, Frazergunj and Sagar Island in South 24-Parganas district. The State Government will take steps for construction of beach resorts and water sports centres at all such sites in conformity with the Coastal Zone Regulations and the related guidelines. Investment from private sector including foreign direct investment will be welcome in this sub-sector. The State Government will extend help in acquisition of the required lands and their transfer to the investors at reasonable cost. The Departments of Tourism, Irrigation & Waterways, Forest & Environment, Development & Planning will jointly draw up a plan for beach tourism. Efforts will be made for developing Shankarpur near Digha into model tourist village with the State Tourism department providing the necessary infrastructure and the private sector setting up facilities of various kinds for all classes of tourists as per a Master plan to be drawn up for the purpose.

Convention Tourism West Bengal is the gateway to the Eastern and North-Eastern States of India. Calcutta, the capital city of West Bengal, has the potential to develop into a world-class Convention Centre. The liberalisation of the country’s economy has attracted the attention of international hospitality chains. Apart from bringing in foreign direct investment, international chains are likely to contribute to the upgradation of Indian managerial and marketing talent to global standards in the hospitality sector. International trademarks in hospitality will ensure the much-needed quality assurance for marketing India as a competitive tourist destination. To facilitate this, suitable sites (each measuring 15/20 acres of land) for setting up state-of-the-art Convention Centres on the pattern of Bigyan Bhavan at Delhi will be identified and earmarked in and around Calcutta; some smaller sites will also be identified and earmarked at Durgapur, Asansol, Siliguri, Darjeeling and Kalimpong. Private Sector investment will be welcome in such projects. Cultural tourism Cultural tourism is tourism based on (a) traditional Art and Craft and (b) activities like drama, music and dances, sound and light shows. Shantiniketan founded by the poet Rabindranath Tagore is a world-renowned cultural centre. Calcutta has Jorasanko, Rabindra Sadan, Nazrul Mancha, Girish Mancha, Nandan Cultural Complex, Academy of Fine Arts and many prestigious theatres. In promoting tourism and especially, organising tourism fairs & festivals, due emphasis will be placed on traditional art & culture with a view mainly to providing opportunities to the local talents. The Department of Tourism will endeavour to set up, in consultation with the I & CA Department, a cultural complex, preferably in Calcutta, which will serve as the centre for all major cultural activities covering among others, fine art & performing art. Eco-Tourism/Eco-friendly Tourism Tourism is an industry that depends largely on an enriched environment for its continued growth. It is also an industry that often tend to cause significant degradation of the environment – both the physical environment and the social environment. That is why throughout the world various Governments and non-Government organisations are

adopting suitable measure and bringing suitable legislation for preserving heritage, culture, forest & environment as well as for preventing pollution. To promote eco-friendly tourism the State Government will launch an awareness campaign among the general public and also strictly enforce rules and regulations for preservation of heritage structures, pollution control, waste management etc. in co-operation with the representatives of Tourism Industry. Darjeeling Hills, the Dooars, the Western forest tracts of the State and the Sunderbans will be the thrust areas for developing eco-tourism. All tourism projects will have to be eco-friendly and conform to the rules/regulations/directives of the Deptt. of Environment and WB Pollution Control Board. Forest & Wildlife Tourism There is tremendous scope for development of tourism based on wildlife in the State particularly in the Sunderbans (National Biosphere Reserve & Project Tiger) and the districts of Jalpaiguri, Midnapore, Bankura, Birbhum and Purulia. Wildlife sanctuaries, bird sanctuaries, crocodile reserves and tiger reserves draw a large number of both foreign and domestic tourists to these areas. The State Govt. will endeavour to create better tourist facilities at or near such sites specially in the Dooars and the Sunderbans in conformity with the policies, rules & regulations for conservation of environment and ecological balance and in consultation with the Department of Forest and Environment to enable tourists to appreciate the variety of flora and fauna in the State. Getaway tourism in the vicinity of Calcutta Within 60 to 70 km radius of Calcutta and along all the exit routes of the mega city, about 40 or 50 sites will be identified and earmarked for development of tourist resorts, day centres, picnic spots etc. to provide facilities to weekend tourists & getaway tourists living in the crowded city of Calcutta. Tourism Deptt., Land and Land Revenue Deptt, and the District Administrations of Howrah, Hooghly, North & South 24-Parganas will jointly inspect, identify, acquire & earmark the sites for development of tourist complexes with Central Government & State Government assistance and also with appropriate investment from the private sector.

Heritage Tourism Heritage sites are precious for a country. In tune with the policy of the Govt. of India the Department of Tourism will take appropriate measure for promotion of heritage tourism in the State. Heritage buildings, monuments, temples, churches, mosques etc. at or near Burdwan town, Vishnupur town in Bankura district, Gour & Pandua in Malda district, Lalbagh in Murshidabad district, Chandannagore, Srirampore, Chinsura and Bandel in Hooghly district, Barrackpore in North 24-Parganas district, Coochbehar town and Calcutta city etc. will be identified and efforts will be made to restore, preserve and promote them as places of tourist interest with Central/State assistance and/or with the help and participation of private sector, wherever feasible. The permission/assistance of the Archaeological Survey of India will be obtained, as and when necessary. Highway Tourism To make the road journeys of tourists and other travellers safe, secure and pleasant, composite wayside facilities will be constructed on all National and State Highways within the State at distances of 25/30 kms. ¾ acres of land at each such site will be identified/acquired and earmarked for constructing such facilities, Such facilities may be constructed and managed by West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. or private entrepreneurs as the case may be. WBTDC will, however, have the right and authority to run such facilities constructed with government assistance, wherever necessary, through management contract or lease or by forming joint sector companies with private entrepreneurs/reputed motel chains. Deptts. of Tourism, Transport, Public Works and Land & Land Revenue will jointly identify the sites and will be requested to take appropriate steps for acquiring and handing over possession of the sites to WBTDC. Plantation Tourism Darjeeling Hill Areas and the Dooars of North Bengal have a large number of lush-green tea estates. Many such tea estates have some surplus lands and many of such estates are now eager to develop eco-friendly tourist resorts on their surplus lands. Tourism, Forest & Environment and L & LR Departments of the State Government will jointly select the sites and fix up the criteria for plantation tourism in North Bengal. L & LR Deptt. will be requested to allow the willing tea estates to develop tourist resorts on

their surplus lands provided they fulfil the requisite terms and conditions as will be prescribed by the State Government. Railway Tourism West Bengal is the gateway not only to the Eastern States of Bihar and Orissa but also to Sikkim and the seven North-Eastern States. Siliguri at the foothills of the Himalayas is the gateway not only to Darjeeling hill areas but also to Sikkim, Bhutan and Nepal. For industrial and tourism development of North Bengal and for development of tourist circuits, Siliguri is required to be well-connected by railways with Calcutta & Guwahati. The State Government will take up with the Railway Ministry for introduction of

(i) Super fast trains connecting Calcutta & Siliguri, (ii) Palace-on-wheel connecting eastern U.P., Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa

(Buddhist Circuit), (iii) Super fast train between Calcutta & Berhampur (Murshidabad).

The State Government will also take up with the Railway Ministry for modernisation and preservation of the toy-train operating between Siliguri and Darjeeling as an item of tourist attraction. West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation will take up with the Railways for allotment of berths/seats for week-end package tours to Shantiniketan, Vishnupur, Berhampur, Darjeeling & the Dooars, the Buddhist circuit and to beaches of Orissa and other suitable tourist spots. Tourism Department will endeavour to use the existing metre-gauge railway line between Siliguri & Alipurduar running through the beautiful forest and tea garden areas of the Dooars, for the purpose of development of tourism. River Tourism The potential of the Hooghly river and the estuaries in the Sunderbans will be exploited more effectively for promotion of river tourism by undertaking conducted tours in launches and by river cruises. While the launch services to the estuaries of Sunderbans will combine river tourism and wildlife tourism, the trips to the places of pilgrimage and heritage on the banks of the Hooghly river and the evening cruises on this river in Calcutta will be a combination of river tourism, religious tourism, heritage tourism and entertainment tourism.

State Tourism Department will take steps for constructing an exclusive jetty in Calcutta on the river Hooghly for tourist launches with the assistance of Calcutta Port Trust and for sponsoring & organising river cruises Sports Tourism West Bengal and specially Calcutta have famous Football & Hockey Clubs, Cricket Clubs and centres of Table Tennis, Lawn Tennis, Polo and Golf. Eden Gardens is often used for holding world-class cricket matches. There is Yuba Bharati Krirangan, the biggest sports stadium in Asia. Apart from the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Calcutta, there are good stadiums at Durgapur, Kharagpur and Siliguri as well. Water sports Centres will be developed and maintained at Rabindra Sarobar and Subhas Sarobar and other big water bodies in and around Calcutta, and also in the water reservoirs/barrage at Durgapur, Maithon, Panchet, Mukutmanipur and Teesta Barrage site. Efforts will be made to develop Golf Villages of international standard in the Dooars and in the outskirts of Calcutta to make Calcutta city the gateway to South-East Asia, a centre of big business and the headquarters of big industries and a paradise for golfers and to give a boost to the hotel industry in the city. Tourism Deptt. will take up with the State Sports and Youth Services Deptt. and various non-Government sports organisations for planning and organising national and international sports meets at regular intervals not only in Calcutta but also at Durgapur, Kharagpur and Siliguri in such a manner as will ensure flow of both domestic and foreign tourist to West Bengal round the year.