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.