Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Saturday, Nov 08, 2003
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Saturday, Nov 08, 2003 |
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Industry & Economy
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Hotels Bengal CM rules out abolishing luxury tax on hotel industry Our Bureau
Kolkata , Nov. 7 THE three-day 39th annual convention of Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) began here on Friday on a dull note. The Union Minister for Tourism and Culture, Mr Jagmohan, who was to inaugurate the convention, did not turn up. On his part, the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, failed to give any assurance to the FHRAI delegates except that the State Government had firmed up plans to develop the world's largest "Delta" in the Sunderbans, into an eco-friendly tourism centre of international standard. Ruling out the possibility of abolishing existing luxury tax imposed in the State on hotel industry, Mr Bhattacharjee said private initiative would be encouraged for the promotion of village , tea garden and eco tourism. He outlined potential areas of the State's tourism for the benefit of the hoteliers and restaurant owners. The Chief Minister said that the people of the State were tourism-minded with the result that they visited different areas outside West Bengal. It was because of this that most tour operators in the State were outbound tour operators. He suggested to the federation that steps be taken to ensure that the State was marketed in other States as well as in foreign countries for inbound tourists. He said that Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra International airport needed to be modernised and more international flights should operate from the airport. He was informed that the British Airways would increase its number of flights from two to three per week from December. Gulf Air would start operation from Kolkata from this month, while Malaysian Airways would soon start its operations from here to Europe, he said. He urged the Centre to consider introducing direct flights between Kolkata and Tokyo as well as Kolkata and Beijing. He felt that such direct flights were required in view of China opening up a major market for Indian goods and a large number of tourists visited Buddhist circuits in West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Sikkim and other eastern States. He said that the Union Government had sanctioned funds for the development of Bishnupur in Bankura district of the State as tourist destinations. Similar initiative, he felt, had to be taken in respect of Gaur and Murshidabad. The State Government had submitted a circuit tourism scheme to the Centre for the development of a number of sites in North Bengal including life sanctuaries.
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