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| home >> about west bengal >> sectoral focus >> thrust areas >> tourism |
| TOURISM |
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| Profile & Performance |
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| West Bengal has the widest variety of attractions in terms of tourist spots from the bustling Kolkata megapolis with its historical and modern charms, to the zones of tranquility like the Himalayan terrain in the north to the Sunderbans in the south. The state is endowed with all the diversities of nature that is a tourist’s dream. From the arid Chhotanagpur plateau region in the west, forests in the north and south, mountains in the north, sea beaches in the south and rivers crisscrossing the whole of the state the varied panorama offers the discerning traveler a very wide choice and caters to the requirements of varied travel segments. More specifically, the snow capped peaks of the Himalayas, Darjeeling, referred by many as the Queen of the Hill Stations, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway declared as a World Heritage Site, the vast tea |
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estates of the Dooars, the famed Royal Bengal Tiger of Sunderbans, the innumerable historical landmarks of India’s and Bengal’s glorious history are all wonders for the prospective tourists.
The Government of West Bengal has realized the huge potential of tourism industry in this part and hence has formulated an appropriate policy framework to attract more tourists as well as investors in this industry. In the year 2004, 0.76 million foreign tourists and 12.38 million domestic tourists visited the state.
The Government of West Bengal has allocated Rs. 25 million in their state budget this year to boost tourism in the state. |
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| Policies & Plans |
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| To promote West Bengal as a desirable tourist destination, the State Government has formulated certain plans & policies. |
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| The major thrust areas of the policy are : |
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Promote sustainable development of tourism in the State. |
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Preservation and promotion of local art, tradition , heritage, culture & environment. |
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Promotion of Sports tourism, Adventure tourism, River tourism, Rural tourism, Eco-tourism,, Forest & wildlife tourism. |
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Notification of Special Tourism Areas in the State. |
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Public Private Participation in creation of tourism infrastructure. |
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| West Bengal Government is also taking special steps to encourage & promote Tea-tourism in the State. The state government has already chalked up plans to upgrade accommodation, construct log cabins, renovate heritage bung lows, and undertake landscaping to boost this sector. Tourist can visit the villagers and tea factories and go horse riding and bird watching. They can also take a ride on the famous “Toy Train” of Darjeeling. |
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| Potential |
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| Why West Bengal? |
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Vast unexplored potential and diversity. |
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Distinguished Tourist stops internationally know |
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Gateway to North-Eastern India. |
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Relative low costs of accommodation and travel. |
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Wide literacy levels and English speaking population. |
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Government welcomes Public Private Partnerships in designated areas. |
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| Products & Services (Illustrative List) |
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| Promotion and creation of infrastructure for: |
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Nature Tourism |
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Tea Tourism |
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Heritage Tourism |
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River Tourism |
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Amusement and Sports Tourism |
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Hill Tourism |
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Cultural Tourism |
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Historical Tourism |
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Forest Tourism |
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