“Banglar mati, banglar jol”…..West Bengal is one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse states of India. The people of West Bengal inherit their identity and aspiration from the larger Indian mosaic. One can still recapture the colonial era in its relics which survived the state’s progressive development. The land of West Bengal has in it intricately woven stories of many bright mornings and dark nights; stories of many civilisations have left their footprints here. Awash in the memory of that rich history and heritage West Bengal boasts of different ethnicities, cultures, religions, people and languages which add to this beautiful landscape. And that is why Deshbandhu Chittaranjan once said – “There is an eternal truth in the soil of Bengal. ….It is that eternal truth that has been expressed through innumerable changes, evolution and revolutions in Bengal. It is that truth which has proclaimed itself in literature, philosophy, poetry, war, revolution, religion and karma, in ignorance, in unrighteousness, in freedom and in subjection. That is Bengal’s life – Bengal’s soil and Bengal’s water are the external forms of that life.”
West Bengal aims 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 is to see that the tourism sector contributes towards improving the quality of life of people in general.
The basic objectives of the Tourism Policy, 2008 of West Bengal are as follows:
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.
To promote responsible and sustainable tourism through the integrated development of the infrastructure and not sporadic, stand alone and fragmented development.
To develop a portfolio of tourism products by utilizing its unique ecological, historical, cultural, religious, wildlife, sports, shopping, health care, educational and human assets.
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.
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.
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.
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