West Bengal Tourism Policy, 2008

Government of West Bengal Department of Tourism

No-TW/1T-26/08 NOTIFICATION

Dated:

In exercise of power conferred by the Proviso to Article 309 of the Constitution of India, the Governor is pleased hereby to frame the new Tourism Policy. 1. Global Tourism Scenario

1.1. Tourism is one of the key global industries which is labour intensive and generates manifold benefits. It helps develop national economies, catalyses development process, highlights and conserves cultural heritage, and acts as a bridge in international harmony and peace. 1.2. Tourism has been growing consistently. More than 800 million tourists travelled internationally in 2006, double than that in 1990. This has led to the size of the industry growing to a staggering $ 700 billion in 2006 which was almost 2.5 times over the same period. Not only are more people traveling, but they are increasingly spending more per trip highlighting the growing value of this sector. 1.3. Tourists spend on accommodation, food and beverages, inter and intra-city transportation and local shopping and entertainment. This simulates local economies and creates a multiplier economic impact. More than 230 million direct and indirect jobs are believed to be in existence because of tourism which represents 7-8% of the total global employment. This highlights the most significant feature of the tourism industry- its potential to generate both direct and indirect employment. 1.4. Importance of tourism can also be stressed from the fact that global tourism receipts are around 6 7% of the worldwide exports of goods and services. Tourism is also one of the most important service sectors with the share of tourism exports being more than 30% of global service exports. 1.5. Further, tourism has outpaced the growth of GDP, thereby highlighting its economic and social significance. However, tourism industry can continue to grow at a sustained, if not a greater pace only if necessary conditions and infrastructure are created to facilitate greater investments in this area. 1.6. Internationally, the boom in travel and tourism is expected to continue and this will be an opportunity for every region in the world to be part of this process. Among the regions, the Asia Pacific region has already captured the second highest market share globally, both in terms of tourist arrivals and tourism receipts. Changing market demographics, growing influence of the East and proactive governance are driving this change; this has important implications for the countries in this region, especially for emerging leaders such as India. 1.7. By 2020, tourism arrivals are anticipated to again double to more than 1.6

billion travelers. This will be dominated by intraregional travel, which presents another opportunity for a country like India as it is situated in an economically developing and consuming region.

2. Tourism Scenario in India 2.1. The Indian tourism industry has been performing quite well in the last few years. It has out-performed the global tourism industry in terms of the growth in the volume of international tourists as well as in terms of revenue. India along with China has been identified as having one of the fastest growing tourism industries internationally. 2.2. International tourist arrivals in India were around 4.5 million in 2006. This figure has almost doubled over the past 10 years. 2.3. A highlight of Indian tourism has been the resounding growth in domestic tourism. Domestic tourism arrivals went up to almost 461 million tourists in 2006 from just about 140 million tourists in 1996. This has been driven by higher disposable incomes, change in travel attitudes, emergence of new tourism products and aggressive marketing by various public and private tourism players. 2.4. Tourism contributes to nearly 5.9% of the GDP, and the direct and indirect employment generated by tourism has been as much as nearly 8.78% of the total employment in the country. 2.5. Foreign exchange earnings from tourism have also gone up to around USD 6.8 billion in 2006, up from USD 2.9 billion in 2002.

3. Tourism in West Bengal 3.1. Tourist arrivals in West Bengal in 2006 were estimated at around 18.4 million. This was up four-fold from around 4.5 million total tourists in 1996. During the same period, global tourism grew by 1.5 times and Indian tourism by 3.3 times. 3.2. Also, the proportion of foreign tourists as a percentage of total tourists in West Bengal was higher at around 6% in 2006 as against 1% in India. This ratio has steadily gone up for the State from around 3% in 1996 thereby highlighting its increasing importance as an international destination. 3.3. In absolute figures, the number of foreign tourists coming to West Bengal has gone up by about 6 times from 0.18 million in 1996 to around 1.1 million 2006. During the same period, the number of foreign tourists in India has gone up by around 1.9 times from around 2.3 million in 1996 to around 4.6 million in 2006. As a result, the share of West Bengal in the foreign inbound tourism segment was around 25% in 2006 up from around 8% in 1996. This share needs to retained and grown further. 3.4. In comparison, the share of West Bengal in the domestic tourism segment of India is still low. Only 17.3 million domestic tourists travelled to West Bengal in 2006 as against 461 million within India. Although there has been a growth in domestic tourists traveling to West Bengal since 1996 when the number of such tourists was only 4.4 million, the share of the State in the Indian context has remained low between 3-4%. This will be the focus area for growth in future.

4. Tourism Government of Indias Priority 4.1. The National Tourism Policy adopted by the Government of India in 2002 has declared tourism as a major engine of economic growth. It has said that this would be done by harnessing the direct and multiplier effects of tourism in terms of employment generation, economic development and providing impetus to rural tourism. 4.2. The policy has also declared the intention of the Government to focus on both international and domestic tourism, and to position India as a global brand to take advantage of the burgeoning global travel and trade and the vast untapped potential of the country as a destination. 4.3. The policy further acknowledges the critical role of the private sector with the Government acting as a proactive facilitator and catalyst. In this context, it has stated that the Government would create and develop integrated tourism circuits based on Indias unique heritage in partnership with the States, the private sector and the other agencies. The overall aim of this approach would be to ensure that the tourist gets physically invigorated, mentally rejuvenated, culturally enriched, and spiritually elevated.

5. Competition at International and at Domestic Level 5.1. Tourism industry is highly competitive. Competition for tourist travel is not only from other States but from emerging destinations in South and East Asia and from other parts of the developing world. 5.2. West Bengal will face this competition in a very healthy and progressive spirit. It will constantly benchmark, innovate and upgrade itself on all aspects of tourism products, prices, tourism environment and market reach. It will also cooperate with competing destinations to ensure that the tourism market expands for all. West Bengal has unique geographical location and diversity which not only makes it a strong competitor but also an attractive partner for developing the tourism market.

6. Vision Statement for West Bengal Tourism West Bengal will aim to become a preferred tourism and tourism-related investment destination by leveraging its unique geographical setting along with its various tourism-related assets. It will develop necessary infrastructure and promote tourism in an integrated manner which will not only bring in more investment and further the socio-economic goals of the Government, but also ensure that all these are in conformity with the relevant acts, rules and regulations relating to environmental protection. The overall aim will be to see that the tourism sector contributes towards improving the quality of life of people in general.

7. Objectives of the Tourism Policy of West Bengal The basic objectives of the Tourism Policy of West Bengal will be as follows: 7.1. To improve the market share of West Bengal in the inbound international tourism segment and also to have a dominant share in the domestic tourism market. 7.2. To promote responsible and sustainable tourism through the integrated development of the infrastructure and not sporadic, stand alone and fragmented development. 7.3. To develop a portfolio of tourism products by utilizing its unique ecological,

historical, cultural, religious, wildlife, sports, shopping, health care, educational and human assets. 7.4. To facilitate tourism by all segments, particularly the middle and lower income tourists, by making the tourist spots in the State more easily accessible through single-window facility at the State capital and at the district headquarters and on the internet. 7.5. To fully tap the direct and indirect economic benefits of tourism by broad basing tourism activities. This will be done by creating more employment opportunities and by dispersing tourism into the hinterland which will further the socio-economic goals of the Government. 7.6. To proactively develop partnership with the governmental and non-governmental agencies including the private sector (Public-Private-Partnership model)(PPP) to take advantage of complementary capital and intellectual assets to promote tourism. 7.7. To increase the revenue earnings of the State and the foreign exchange reserves of the country.

8. Tourism Industry - Definitions 8.1. Tourism Industry means and includes all tourism products, infrastructure, facilities and services that attract tourists and make their visit and stay as comfortable and meaningful as possible. 8.2. Tourists mean all people traveling into the State for the purpose of undertaking leisure, business, education, medical treatment and other relevant activities but without the objective of setting up domicile. 8.3. Tourism Units mean projects relating to tourism activities which provide tourism products, infrastructure and services to tourists in any form. 8.4. Tourism Products/ Destinations mean all products which serve as the anchor or as the key reason for a visit or for undertaking tourism. Examples of such destinations and products are: 8.4.1. Naturally existing places of visit and destinations like the Sunderbans delta; tea gardens in North Bengal; sea coasts and beaches; mountains and valleys; forests and green areas; and rivers and river fronts. 8.4.2. Man- Made places which serve as a core tourist attraction, like museums; forts and palaces; and other remarkable places of core tourist interest. 8.4.3. Man- made destinations providing areas of activity for tourists like amusement and leisure parks; family entertainment centres; golf courses; sports activity points such as water sports/aero sports; and rural cottage and cultural expositions such as handicraft villages, fairs and festivals and sound and light shows. 8.4.4. Tourism transportation doubling up as tourism attractions like railway travel products such as Palace-on- Wheels and Darjeeling Himalayan Railway; river, lake and sea cruise projects; and floating hotels. 8.4.5. Nodal tourism products aimed at generating tourism related mega events like stadiums; convention centres; other innovative or internationally acclaimed products such as Formula One racing track and sports cities; and special tourism zones enacted specially for the purpose of growing tourism in a concentrated area. 8.5. Tourism Infrastructure/Facilities mean not only special infrastructure for tourism such as tourism units used for servicing and hosting tourists during their stay in the State, but

also related basic infrastructure such as roads, lighting etc. The special infrastructure would include the following: 8.5.1. Accommodation and lodging units which provide accommodation to tourists against a charge, like hotels of any star rating; holiday resorts at sea-side, mountains, forests, and plantations; transit facilities along highways, motels and road side inns; old palaces and forts converted into heritage hotels; hotels attached to port areas such as yatriniwas and yatrika; hotels catering to budget categories such as dharamshalas; accommodation used for longer stays such as service apartments and guest houses; Government owned circuit houses and lodges; and paying guest and bed and breakfast accommodation provided these comply with the guidelines of the relevant scheme launched by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. 8.5.2. Food and Beverage outlets like restaurants, cafeterias and cafs; highway stopover food facilities; and food kiosks. 8.5.3. Branded shopping streets and malls. 8.5.4. Roadside amenities and support in tourist areas such as pay and use toilets, supply of drinking water and signages. 8.5.5. Ropeways and hill lifts to facilitate the movement of tourists. 8.6. Tourism Services mean the services which provide direct support to the tourism industry to develop and grow. These would include travel and tour intermediaries; tourist language guides and destination guides; transport services providers such as tourist taxis, buses, and charter services; tourism-education institutes; tourism consultants; tourism associations; and tourism equipment providers.

9. Approach towards tourism promotion 9.1. Tourism products/destinations are the main motivators of visits of tourists to the State. However, in order to attract tourists in adequate numbers, tourism infrastructure/facilities have also to be developed and matching tourism services provided which are both reliable and of high quality. 9.2. Development of both tourism products/destinations and related tourism infrastructure/ facilities is capital intensive. It requires not only the support and assistance of the Government of West Bengal but also the involvement of the private sector as well as other governmental and non-governmental agencies through appropriate partnerships. It shall be the endeavour of the Government of West Bengal to catalyse and work together with all other stakeholders to develop these tourism units on a self-sustaining basis. It will also facilitate the provision of tourism services in which the private sector will be expected to play a major role.

10. Target Tourism Products/destinations 10.1. West Bengal is a State rich in resources which can be leveraged for tourism. The State will focus on these assets to proactively develop different tourism products/destinations. The tourism products/destinations to be accorded priority will be as follows: 10.1.1. Nature-based Tourism: West Bengal is replete with most of the natural assets that exist in the country, except the desert. Some of these assets are unique (eg. Sunderbans delta, tea plantations, beaches, mountains and wildlife) and give the State a huge competitive advantage. Tourism will be developed around these natural resources, which will include Sunderbans Tourism, Plantation Tourism, Sea and Coastline Tourism, Mountain

Tourism, Eco and Forest Tourism, and River Tourism. 10.1.2. Cultural Tourism: West Bengal is the cultural capital of India. It has constantly produced thoughts, ideas and events which have brought forth freshness and rejuvenation in the society both in India and the world. This strength of West Bengal needs to be taken forward with greater vigour from a tourism perspective to give tourism an unmatched strength in the State. The specific components of Cultural Tourism which will be focused upon will include Fairs and Festivals Tourism, Heritage Tourism, Arts and Crafts Tourism, Cuisine Tourism, Film Tourism, Family, Relatives and Friends Tourism, and Village Tourism. 10.1.3. Religious Tourism: India is known for its religious places of worship. Visit to religious destinations has been the biggest reason for travel in India, and West Bengal too has a vital role to play in this area. Tourism products involving religious destinations will be developed. 10.1.4. Contemporary Tourism: To remain competitive, West Bengal will also focus on tourism products which are contemporary and which provide a reason for people to travel. These would include Shopping Tourism, Convention Tourism, Leisure and Amusement Parks Tourism, Medical Tourism, Rail Tourism, Highway Tourism, Sports Tourism, KnowYour-Own State Tourism, Special Tourism Zones, and other tourism products. 10.1.5. The modalities of promotion of specific tourism products/destinations are elaborated below.

11. Modalities of promotion of specific tourism products/destinations 11.1. Sunderbans Tourism: The Sunderbans Delta is a unique attraction in West Bengal. However, since this area has an ecologically fragile terrain and has been declared as a World Heritage Site, tourism in Sunderbans has to be developed in a manner that does not affect the environment. A detailed Master Plan for developing tourism in this area on a sustainable basis will be prepared with the help of experts and implementation taken up in consultation with the relevant departments of the Government. Proposals from the private sector for participation in tourism development in Sunderbans, particularly through water-based crafts, will be welcomed. 11.2. Plantation Tourism: Globally, plantations have been a huge attraction for tourists because of their unique setting. Wine tourism in France, Italy, California, Chile and Australia, flower tourism in Holland, coffee tourism in the Nilgiris and apple tourism in Himachal Pradesh have been extremely popular. West Bengal has a similar attraction in the tea plantations. Steps will be taken to promote tea tourism in a systematic and eco-friendly manner without in any way affecting tea cultivation and other related activities. Proposals from operators of tea-gardens and from other entrepreneurs interested in making investments in tea tourism which are duly backed by detailed project reports outlining the exact quantum of land and other inputs required, will be welcomed. 11.3 Sea and Coastline Tourism: West Bengal has a coastline of more than 150 kms. This gives the State a major advantage in the development and promotion of various tourism products along the coastline. Some of the specific products that will be planned will include Beach Tourism and Resorts; Tourist Fishing Harbour and Villages; Marine-life Museums and life-size Walk-through Aquariums; Corniche/Coastal Roads; and Sea-Adventure Sports. 11.3.1. Beach Tourism and Resorts will be encouraged within the Coastal Zone Regulation (CRZ) norms by developing new beach stretches, creating basic

infrastructure and leasing out/selling space for resort activities. In this context, a detailed Master Plan will be prepared with the help of an expert agency and in consultation with the relevant Government Departments including the Environment Department and the local authorities. Participation of the private sector in the implementation of specific projects as per the Master Plan will be encouraged. 11.3.2. The possibility of setting up a Tourism Fishing Harbour will also be explored to provide a unique product to the State. In addition, conversion of some existing fishing villages to tourist villages will be explored. In this regard, the Tourism Department will coordinate with the district/local authorities and the Department of Fisheries and arrange support for infrastructure development, training and marketing. 11.3.3. Marine Life Museums and Life-size Walk-through Aquariums will also be explored in coordination with the Department of Fisheries. Technocommercial proposals will be invited for the same for development and management by private entrepreneurs. 11.3.4. Corniche /Coastal roads are a driving delight and stimulate large drive through tourist traffic. In coordination with the concerned departments and the district/local administration, the feasibility of having a network of sea-side roads will be explored for circuit development. Upon finalization of these plans, entertainment zones will also be explored along this road to enhance the tourist experience. The role of the private sector in setting up various entertainment products will be encouraged. 11.3.5. As part of Beach Tourism, the possibilities of introducing Sea Adventure Sports will also be explored. Based upon expert advice, and with the involvement of a private party, this concept would be developed in a viable and safe and sound manner. 11.4 Mountain Tourism: West Bengal is positioned nationally as a prominent hill/mountain State with many attractive destinations. Darjeeling, Kurseong, Mirik, Kalimpong, Sandakphu, Mungpoo, Lava, Phalut and Ghoom are all places of great scenic beauty. However, some of the destinations like Darjeeling have become congested. With a view to promoting sustainable development while enhancing tourist experience, advanced products and new hillbased products would be developed in consultation with the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) and the State Forest and Environment Departments and other Departments. These would include the following- Alternate tourist complexes, Trekking routes and walkways, Mall roads and view points, Mountain adventure sports points, Heli-tourism points and Hot air balloon points, Toy-train upgradation, Aerial ropeways, and Alternate/expanded highways. 11.4.1. In order to decongest the existing destinations, new tourist complexes in Darjeeling District, particularly at Kalimpong and Mungpoo will be developed in consultation and cooperation with the DGHC. This would also involve the setting up of more hotels in the star category for which private sector investment would be encouraged. 11.4.2. The DGHC will be encouraged to identify new trekking routes and to set up additional view points and mall roads. Necessary support and assistance would be provided by the Tourism Department in this regard. A branded marketing campaign (viz. Hills and Valleys of Darjeeling) will be initiated to provide commercial support to these destinations. 11.4.3. In consultation with the DGHC and based on expert advice, the possibilities of introducing adventure sports in the mountains will be explored. The private sector will be encouraged to invest in such activities. 11.4.4. In consultation with the DGHC, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Ministry

of Defence, the possibilities of introducing high value heli-tourism and hot-air balloon activities at suitable points in Darjeeling District will be explored. 11.4.5. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) is not only a World Heritage Site but it is also an exemplary tourism product. In coordination with the Ministry of Railways, Tourism Department will explore the feasibility of upgrading this product to provide high quality experience, if need be by involving an experienced private operator. 11.4.6. Aerial ropeways meet the dual requirements of connectivity and as well as tourism. Suggestions would be invited on places requiring aerial ropeway connectivity. Technical studies would be carried out and viable projects would be taken forward for implementation in cooperation with the DGHC and by involving private investment. 11.4.7. Given the congestion of the existing road links to Darjeeling, the possibilities of expanding some of these roads or having alternate alignments will be explored. 11.5 River Tourism: West Bengal is a land of rivers. With more than 14 identified major internal rivers running through the State, West Bengal Tourism will leverage this segment in a focused manner. Some of the river-based tourism products that will be developed will include River Front Development, River Cruises, Water/Fishing Village Development and River Adventure Sports. Participation of the private sector will be welcomed in all such projects. 11.5.1. River Front Development will be undertaken at selected locations by developing embankments, parks, walkways, food and shopping plazas, and open air theatres. On some of the larger river-fronts, major projects such as hotels would be encouraged. 11.5.2. Separately, River Cruises will be encouraged, both in the form of sameday cruises and multiple-day cruise packages particularly along the Hoogly-Bhagirathi River. These will be planned with themes such as colonial or pilgrimage cruises or along geographically beautiful locations. Techno-commercial proposals will be invited for running cruises on regular basis which should also be packaged with local sight-seeing tours on the way. In this context, supporting infrastructure in terms of ghats and jetties will be developed along with food, beverage and local shopping kiosks. 11.5.3. Water/Fishing Village products will also be developed by focusing on small theme villages along the rivers which replicate local life in a touristic surrounding. These would involve the local community in tourism activity. Proposals would be invited from the district/local authorities for developing such villages. Tourism Department will offer support and assistance in coordination with other departments and in marketing them. 11.5.4. Possibilities of introducing River Adventure Sports will also be explored in consultation with experts. 11.6. Eco-Forest Tourism: West Bengal has a large covered forest area which is unique not only because of its flora and fauna but also because of its density and concentration. There are also bird sanctuaries which are attractive tourism destinations. The key elements of ecotourism projects are the existence of a national park or sanctuary as a prime attraction, the project must be ecologically, socially, culturally and economically sustainable, and that it should have participation of local stake-holders. While continuing efforts aimed at conservation of these valuable forests, Government of West Bengal will endeavour to simultaneously create attractive tourist destinations at or near such sites, particularly in the Dooars and the Sunderbans areas, in consultation and cooperation with the Forest Department. The lodging facilities should blend with the local environment and must provide for proper public conveniences, garbage disposal and pollution control. There has also to be a code of conduct (to be evolved in consultation with the Forest Department) to ensure that wild life is not disturbed in any manner. Participation of

the private sector will be encouraged depending on the tourism units under planning. Their role in setting up hotels/resorts with all amenities near such locations will be particularly encouraged. 11.7. Fairs and Festivals Tourism: West Bengal is a land of fairs and festivals. Sharodotsav, which is now widely celebrated, is a huge tourist attraction in the State. There are also important fairs like the West Bengal Handicrafts Fair at Kolkata, Kolkata Film Festival, Kolkata Book Fair, Poush Mela at Shantiniketan, Ganga Sagar Mela, and the Urus Festival at Furfura Sharif which attract a lot of tourists. Kolkata is also famous for music, dance and drama festivals which take place at renowned cultural centres such as Jorasanko, Rabindra Sadan, Nandan Cultural Complex, Nazrul Mancha, Girish Mancha, Academy of Fine Arts and other venues. The Tourism Department will anchor such events to market West Bengal as a tourist destination. 11.8. Heritage Tourism: Heritage sites constitute a precious cultural asset in any State. In West Bengal, there are important heritage buildings, monuments, temples, mosques and churches at or near Kolkata, Bardhaman, Bishnupur, Gour and Pandua, Lalbagh, Chandannagore, Srirampore, Chinsurah, Bandel, Nabadwip, Barrackpore and Cooch Behar. Tourism Department will take all necessary steps to assist in the restoration and preservation of these places of interest, arrange for infrastructure development as well as beautification, illumination and sound and light shows, and encourage running of tour packages with a view to promoting tourism. This will be done with the help of Central/State assistance and/or the participation of the private sector. Permission/assistance of the Archaeological Survey of India will be obtained, as and when necessary. 11.9. Arts and crafts tourism: Certain places in the State have a historic legacy of arts and crafts, like Panchmura for terracotta work, Krishnanagar for clay modeling, Dattaphulia and Samudragarh for handloom weaving, etc. The Tourism Department will promote tourism to these destinations by utilizing, inter alia, the funding available from the Government of India under the Scheme of Rural Tourism Infrastructural Development. It will also jointly with the Micro, Small Scale Enterprises and Textiles Departments set up temporary/permanent expositions of the handicrafts of West Bengal within the State and outside to attract tourists. 11.10. Cuisine Tourism: Regions internationally have branded and exported their cuisines which have given them a vital tourism edge. Popular instances are the Japanese sushi, Italian pasta, Mexican tortillas, Thai green curry and the tandoori chicken of North India. West Bengal will also use its ethnic Bengali food, Kolkata-style Mughlai food, and Tibetan and Nepali foods of the hill areas as a platform for marketing of tourism. It will organize and take part in food festivals where ethnic Bengali dishes and cuisines will be offered by expert chefs to market Bengal. 11.11. Film tourism: Films, besides giving wide publicity to the specific locations at which they are shot, also generate revenues from the long stays of the crews in the host State. West Bengal is fortunate to have large variety of exotic locations where films have been and can be shot. Tourism Department will arrange to publicize these locations to the film fraternity. It will also participate in specialized events which focus on the showcasing of such resources. Further, advantage would be taken of the film festivals to project West Bengal as an attractive centre of film-related activities. 11.12. Family, relatives and friends tourism: Visits to family, relatives and friends constitute an important element of the tourist traffic to the State. Although this is a captive market which will not show any resistance to travel, the Government of West Bengal would try

to improve the rail, road, air and marine transport connections with the help of the relevant Central Government Departments/agencies to further ease travel to and from the State. 11.13. Village tourism: In consultation with the District authorities, a few villages will be chosen as model villages for projecting life in rural Bengal as part of tourism experience. This will be coupled with other segments such as Arts and crafts Tourism, Plantation Tourism, and Coastal Tourism to provide a varied experience to tourists. Special marketing campaigns will be run to focus on such destinations. 11.14. Religious tourism: A major chunk of the domestic tourists are pilgrims who visit religious places in various parts of the country. West Bengal too has many prominent old temples, mosques, churches, etc. which are visited by large numbers of pilgrims each year. While respecting the sanctity and cultural atmosphere associated with such sites, tourist facilities and services will be developed at or near these places of pilgrimage with Central Government and State Government assistance and also with the participation of the local authorities and the private sector, if possible. 11.15. Shopping tourism: Malaysia and Dubai are excellent examples of countries which started off with large shopping formats to attract tourists. The Tourism Department will explore, in consultation with the Urban Development Department and the Housing Department (for Rajarhat), the feasibility of setting up mega-scale shopping centres and recreational and entertainment malls with the participation of the private sector. Contemporary and ethnic merchandise of West Bengal can also be highlighted through such ventures. 11.16. Convention tourism: India still lacks adequate convention and exhibition centres of global standards. With growing economic development and increasing industrialisation of the State, convention and exhibition opportunities will be proactively identified and planned for. The direct and indirect economic impact of convention tourism is higher than some of the other forms of tourism as it promotes employment and encourages setting up of support services. With the involvement of the Urban Development Department and the Commerce and Industry Department, locations suited for setting up convention centres of national and international scale will be identified and the private sector invited to participate. 11.17. Leisure and amusement parks and Ropeway projects: Depending upon their scale and size, amusement parks have the capacity to put a city on the global or on the national tourist map. Smaller scale parks are also important to liven up the family entertainment in a city or town. West Bengal Tourism in consultation with the Urban Development Department will identify areas for development of leisure parks. Techno- commercial studies will be invited from reputed private developers and the most attractive and viable concepts will be given project clearance. Similarly, ropeway projects, especially in the hill areas, which are intended for carrying tourists to destinations or for transport of passengers, would be given support. 11.18. Medical tourism: India is proving itself to be an attractive destination for medical tourism. West Bengal has excellent facilities for specialized medical treatment which can be a focus for medical tourism. While ensuring that medical resources are not unavailable or expensive for the local population, the State will encourage the setting up of more of such facilities including medicities to facilitate medical tourism. 11.19. Railway tourism: West Bengal has practically all the assets that it needs to take advantage of railway tourism in a big way. The State has not only many attractive tourist destinations in different geographical terrains, it has also an extensive rail network connecting these destinations. Besides, Kolkata and Siliguri have been serving as important gateways to the other Eastern Region States. There are excellent possibilities of introducing trains like Palace-on-

Wheels in circuits within the State including the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, as well as in circuits involving other neighbouring States like Orissa and Bihar, e.g. Buddhist Circuit. The State Government will seek the collaboration of the Ministry of Railways for introducing such trains with the possible participation of the private sector. In addition, Ministry of Railways will be requested to introduce more super-fast air-conditioned trains to destinations like Berhampur (Murshidabad) and Digha to facilitate travel of tourists from Kolkata. 11.20. Highway tourism: To make road journeys of tourists more secure, safe and pleasant, composite highway-stopover or wayside facilities will be encouraged to be constructed on all National Highways and State Highways at distances of 25 to 30 kms on 3 to 4 acres of land at each site. Such facilities will be constructed and managed by public authorities/enterprises like the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC) either by itself or in joint venture with private entrepreneurs, or entirely by private parties. Department of Tourism will interact with local authorities, Land and Land Revenue Department, Public Works Department and Transport Department to identify such sites and to arrange for handing them over to WBTDC for development of wayside facilities. Also, proposals from private parties holding suitable lands along the highways on which such way-side amenities could be set up, would be encouraged. 11.21. Sports Tourism: West Bengal, in particular Kolkata, has excellent facilities for many important sporting activities like Cricket, Football, Tennis, Golf, Badminton, Table tennis, etc. Both national and international events pertaining to these sports are held in the State from time to time which attract large numbers of visitors/tourists from outside. West Bengal Tourism will take advantage of these activities and provide support, as may be necessary, to project the State more prominently for Sports Tourism. 11.22. Weekend/Day Tourism: There are many quick week-end retreats and scenic spots good for day trips located in and around urban centres such as Kolkata. Places like Raichak, Diamond Harbour, Mathura Beel, Gadiara, Gorchumuk etc. are extremely popular tourist spots which need to be further developed not only in terms of the facilities available there but also access. The State Government will arrange to develop these spots as well as promote new destinations preferably with the involvement of the private sector. 11.23. Know-your-own State Tourism: Many of the districts in the State have attractive tourist spots. Since tourism in the districts can be done with a low budget and can be within the reach of the common man, the State Government will take steps to promote Know-your-ownState Tourism for which suitable tourism packages will be launched. 11.24. Special Tourism Zones: In order to declare areas which are important from the tourism point of view as Special Tourism Zones so as to not only develop tourism in an integrated manner but also to conserve and preserve such areas, suitable guidelines would be evolved to regulate the tourism-related activities in such areas in terms of allocation of land, policy for built-up area, maintenance of environment and architectural form, etc. 11.25. Other tourism products: Tourism is a constantly innovating area. The Tourism Department will keep a track of emerging tourism products internationally and nationally and to rapidly explore the possibility of putting up similar products in the State.

12. Tourism Infrastructure/Facilities 12.1 Keeping in view the tourism potential of the State and the rapid strides being made in the industrial area, the special infrastructure for tourism in the State has to be developed

on priority basis. This includes development of roads to connect with tourist destinations, construction of public conveniences to ensure sanitation, drinking water supply and solid waste management, and development of green spaces around such destinations, wherever feasible. 12.2. There is an acute need to increase the accommodation and lodging units in the form of Hotels and Resorts in the State in all star categories, particularly the middle and the budget segments. Steps will be taken to identify and earmark suitable plots of land in and around Kolkata and in other important tourist destinations in consultation with the Corporations, Municipalities, Development Authorities and District Collectors. The private sector would be invited to invest in such accommodation and lodging units-related projects. 12.3. Heritage hotels add variety to the accommodation available to tourists. Kolkata and other historical locations in the State have buildings which are old (built prior to 1950) and have architectural excellence which could be converted into heritage hotels. Proposals from private investors for setting up such hotel projects would be welcomed. 12.4. Apartment Hotel projects with a minimum of ten suites, each suite with two fully furnished rooms and a fully equipped kitchen and attached bath, and at least one restaurant, house-keeping service, and a common lounge would also be encouraged. 12.5. Simultaneously, the existing tourist lodges run by the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. (WBTDC) will be renovated, expanded and upgraded to appropriate star categories. Private entrepreneurs would be involved with the management and operation of some of these units, particularly the loss-making ones. 12.6. Other departmentally-run lodges like those by the Forest, Fisheries and Irrigation Departments or by corporations under them would also be handed over to private entities for proper management, to the extent feasible. 12.7. In order to meet the shortage of budget hotel accommodation, Motels consisting of a minimum of two rooms linked with highway-stopover facilities as well as Bed and Breakfast Establishments would be encouraged. 12.8. To make hotel projects economically and financially viable, FAR norms as allowed for the Information Technology industry would generally be applied. 12.9 Suitable camping sites, especially in North Bengal, will be identified to facilitate provision of temporary accommodation to tourists. The area of such sites should not be less than one acre, and should have appropriate toilet and sewage/garbage disposal arrangements. 12.10. Ropeway and hill lift projects will be encouraged to facilitate movement of tourists as well as to give them opportunity to enjoy the scenery of attractive locations. 12.11. Deficiencies in basic infrastructure facilities linked to tourism destinations in the State will be made good or upgraded by implementing suitable projects with the help of funds from the State Plan Budget or Central Assistance, as may be available. Coordination will be made with the Zilla Parishads to ensure that there is convergence in the activities and the resources required for development of tourism infrastructure. Department of Tourism will carefully select sites in consultation with local authorities, as may be necessary, for Rural Tourism, Destination Development, Circuit Tourism and Large Revenue Generating Projects keeping in view the tourism potential, linkages with the socio-economic activities of the local communities, environmental maintenance, and the need for infrastructural development. Wherever possible, private entrepreneurs would also be involved in implementing such projects, especially in Large Revenue Generating Projects.

13. Tourism Services 13.1. In the area of tourism services, the private sector will be expected to play a key role in running travel and tour operations/intermediaries, transport services such as tourist taxis, buses, charter services, ropeways, hill lifts, boats, etc, tourism equipment providers, tourist guides, tourism associations, tourism consultancy and tourism educational institutes. 13.2. In order to monitor the provision of such services, especially by travel and tour operators, tourism educational institutes, tourism equipment providers and guides, registration of such agencies with the Directorate of Tourism, West Bengal would be encouraged. Registered service providers would be given marketing support, as may be feasible, through the State Tourist Offices/Information Centres and the West Bengal Tourism web-site operated by WBTDC. 13.3. Operators of tourist transport services like tourist taxis, buses, boats, etc. will be expected to obtain authorizations, as may be required, by the Transport Department of the Government of West Bengal. In order to ensure hassle free service to tourists coming to the State, the local authorities at the important gateways and destinations in the State would be requested to interact with the associations of the transport operators so as to put in place easy-toavail and reliable pre-paid taxi and other transport arrangements. 13.4. Adventure tourism requires the provision of appropriate equipment as well as guidance to ensure the safety of the tourists. Tourism equipment providers and guides for activities like river rafting, canoeing, rock climbing, para-gliding, etc will be expected to have necessary training backed by certificates obtained from reputed institutions specialised in such activities, like the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling, Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi, etc. They will also be required to formally notify the district authorities of their activities.

14. Human Resource Capacity Building 14.1. The demand for manpower in the hotels and restaurants sector has been far exceeding supply. This industry needs professionally qualified and trained personnel at all levels, whether managerial, supervisory or subordinate, to maintain facilities and services of international standards. 14.2. There are several institutions in West Bengal which are offering tourism-related courses. These include two run by the Government, namely, the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition (IHM) in Kolkata (3-year Degree course with intake of 220 students each year) and the Food Crafts Institute at Darjeeling (one year diploma course with intake of 90 students per year). Separately, the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management (IISWBM), Kolkata has been offering a one-year Diploma course for 60 students in Tourism and Hospitality Management. 14.3. Since the turnout from these institutes has not been enough, and as the entire tourism sector has been witnessing a massive expansion with new tourism products/ destinations being developed in the State, there is a need for augmentation of the capacity building facilities for the human resource in areas related to tourism. 14.4. The Tourism Department will initiate the following steps: (i) Ministry of Tourism, Government of India will be requested to set up a branch of the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (Gwalior) in Kolkata.

(ii) Two new Institutes of Hotel Management will be planned to be set up in the State in the next five years on PPP model. (iii) Ministry of Tourism, Government of India will be requested to introduce a postgraduate course in hotel management in the IHM, Kolkata. (iv) Additional Food Crafts Institutes will be set up in selected district towns depending on their tourist/hotel infrastructure. (v) With the help of the Department of Technical Education and Training, specific tourism-related courses like those for subordinate staff of hotels / resorts / motels / lodges / beach and tea tourism projects, caterers, guides, tourist coach drivers, and tourist taxi drivers will be introduced in Industrial Training Institutes / Polytechnics located at such places so that the students in these courses can avail of hands-on training in nearby public / private tourism establishments. These courses will also cater to the requirements of refresher training for the staff of the tourism industry. Proposals for running such courses by private institutions including non governmental organizations will be encouraged and supported. (vi) Private institutions running management courses in the State will also be encouraged to offer Hospitality and Travel Management-related courses. (vii) With the help of the local administration and the associations of the service providers, various categories of individuals associated with tourism services, viz. taxi drivers, auto-rickshaw drivers, tourist guides, etc. would be sensitized and provided with necessary orientation training to make them more responsive to the needs of the tourism industry.

15. Tourism Security 15.1. Tourists sometimes face harassment from taxi drivers, hotel owners, shop-keepers, vendors and others during their visits to various destinations. In order to ensure safe travel and thereby enhance the attractiveness of the State for tourism, the Government of West Bengal will, with the help of the local authorities, exercise closer supervision over the activities of the service providers at the different gateways and tourist destinations by setting up tourist help desks. A specialized wing of the Police in the form of Tourist Police will be created, if necessary, in due course to provide more effective security to tourists.

16. Publicity and Marketing 16.1. Marketing of tourism products will continue to be done through advertising in travel magazines, general magazines, newspapers, and electronic media, publication of leaflets, brochures and tourist maps, participation in exhibitions, fairs, and festivals, road shows, placement of information on the internet, involving opinion makers like brand ambassadors, and through the State Tourist Offices. Also, Railways and Airport authorities would be approached to carry advertisements of tourism destinations of the State on trains running to and from the State or at airports connected with the State. 16.2. In order to give a focus to these efforts, different market segments will be addressed which will include the international short-haul market, domestic weekend market, intra-State market, domestic long-haul market, and the international long-haul market. 16.3. The West Bengal Tourism web-site operated by the WBTDC will be thoroughly overhauled to make available all necessary information to tourists including on-line facilities for

booking accommodation, transport, and specific tour packages. The site will make available not only the facilities offered by WBTDC and the State agencies, but also those offered by private corporate bodies by hyper-linking their sites with the WBTDC site. 16.4. The fairs, exhibitions and festivals, to be participated in will be selected keeping view the market segments to be focused on, tourist arrivals in the State from various geographical locations and the possibilities of promoting local arts, crafts, cuisine, and cultural activities. West Bengal Tourism will endeavour to participate as a theme/partner State in some of the high profile fairs/exhibitions/festivals to the extent feasible. In addition to participating in external events, the traditional venues within the State at which visitors or pilgrims congregate in large numbers will also be promoted for showcasing the tourism potential of the State. As regards international fairs/exhibitions held outside the country, the Tourism Department will, in consultation and cooperation with the Government of India, arrange to promote the tourism products of the State so as to draw more foreign tourists. 16.5. West Bengal State Tourist Offices would be opened or strengthened at important tourist centres and in other metropolitan cities for marketing of tourism products. The Tourist Offices will be equipped with modern information technology and internet access to enable them to make instant reservation of accommodation as well as to provide other relevant information. They will also provide single window for booking of accommodation available to tourists in State-Government owned lodges and guest houses either run departmentally (e.g. by Fisheries, Forest, Irrigation, PWD etc.) or through corporate entities (like W.B. Forest Development Corporation). In this context, the Information Offices of the State Government would also be utilized for dissemination of information. Simultaneously, the Tourist Offices of the Government of India located outside the country would be similarly utilized for better marketing of the tourism products of the State. 16.6. Tourism Department will identify and communicate with important members of the travel trade network in the different market segments regularly through information material. High performing travel agents and tour operators would be invited for FAM trips to experience different themes of West Bengal. 16.7. Tourism Department will also organize travel trade delegations to these markets to showcase tourism products/destinations and to facilitate partnerships between the travel bodies. 16.8. The Tourism Department will engage a professional marketing and communications agency for planning and executing the publicity campaigns in the chosen markets. The job of the agency would be to identify the communication mix and develop promotional material including brochures, leaflets, tourist maps and guides for each market. A unique and vibrant brand image of West Bengal would be projected through all the publicity material.

17. Other Initiatives 17.1. In order to ensure the continuing development of the tourism industry, collection of accurate data on tourist arrivals, nationality, length of stay, purpose of visit, as well as feedback on the products, conditions and experience is absolutely necessary. Tourism Department will arrange to collect the data on a regular basis from the various tourism establishments including hotels, travel agents, tour operators, administrators of monuments etc. Voluntary registration of tourism units with the Directorate of Tourism will be encouraged so that they not only receive general publicity and marketing support from the Government, but also

tourism-related data can in turn be collected from them. 17.2. Partnerships will be sought with corporate bodies for protection and maintenance of various tourism assets as well as for destination lighting, running open Hop on and hop off buses, tourist signages, dustbins and public facilities while giving them publicity.

18. Incentives for the Tourism Industry 18.1. Tourism has been accorded the status of Industry. In terms of notifications issued by the Commerce and Industries Department (reference notification no. 945-CI/H4F/26/92 Pt dated 11 September 1996 read with notification no. 302-CI/H/4F-26/92 Pt dated 17 September 1997), the incentives and benefits under the West Bengal Incentive Scheme 1993 and the State Scheme of Incentives for Cottage and Small Scale Units, 1993 were made available to the tourism industry. Subsequently, the West Bengal Incentive Scheme 2000 was announced which was replaced by another incentive scheme in 2004. Under the West Bengal Incentive Scheme 2004 (reference notification no. 134 CI/O/Incentive/17/03/1 dated 24 March 2004) currently in operation, a set of incentives have been made available to the tourism industry. These incentives are valid till 31 March 2009. However, keeping view the growing needs of the tourism industry and the review of the tourism policy, Government of West Bengal will announce a separate package of incentives to provide encouragement to this industry.

19. Land Bank Land is one of the most critical inputs for setting up tourism projects. Tourism Department will, in consultation with the Land and Land Revenue Department and the Urban Development Department and the district authorities, identify and earmark lands which can be made available for tourism-related projects. Information on such lands will be made available through the West Bengal Tourism web-site. As far as possible, land at the disposal of the Government will be provided for tourism projects on long-term lease basis instead of through auctions. Also, since tourism has been accorded the status of industry, amendment will be made in the relevant law for grant of permission by the State Government for holding land in excess of the ceiling limit for tourism projects.

20. Clearance mechanism In order to expedite implementation of tourism projects and to ensure speedy grant of permissions and clearances, inter-departmental Secretaries Committees will be set up depending on the nature of the different projects. Besides, the mechanism of a Cabinet Committee under the Chairmanship of the Chief Minister will also be used, if required, to expedite decisions.

21. Implementation of the West Bengal Tourism Policy 2008 The Tourism Department, Government of West Bengal will be the nodal Department for implementation of the Tourism Policy.

22. Commencement of the Policy The West Bengal Tourism Policy, 2008 will commence on 1 April 2008.

By order of the Governor Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of West Bengal No