The Hindu Business Line : ADB aid for Bengal’s tourism sector

Objectives
Aim is to identify key tourism infra deficiencies for development in next 10 yrs.
Proposed visit in line with Centre’s goal to prepare a road map for growth under the Technical Assistance Cluster.

Somasroy Chakraborty

Kolkata, Aug. 14 The West Bengal Government is all set to receive aid from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the field of tourism.

Objective

“A team of ADB consultants would be undertaking a field visit to the State from August 14 to August 17.

“The objective is to identify key tourism infrastructure deficiencies and needs and projects in the State for the development of tourism over the next ten years, focusing on specific tourism themes,” Dr G.D. Gautama, Principal Secretary, West Bengal Tourism Department, told Business Line.

The proposed visit is in line with the Centre’s objective to prepare a road map for tourism infrastructure development under the Technical Assistance Cluster.

According to Dr Gautama, if things fall in place, West Bengal, for the first time, would receive technical and financial aid from the ADB in the tourism sector.

Potential

“West Bengal has a huge tourism potential and this study (by the ADB officials) will help in meeting the needs of tourism infrastructure in the State,” Dr Gautama said.

The ADB team, headed by Mr Ludwig Rieder, will meet senior officials from the State tourism department and representatives of civil aviation, urban development, municipal corporation, State pollution control board, and others.

Private stake holders of the travel and trade will also be invited in the meetings.

The State Government will depute a liaison officer with the ADB team.

Field visits

The ADB officials will also undertake field visits to important tourism sites and will conduct workshops with the private and Government representatives.

The issues that will be reviewed by the team include access and connectivity infrastructure to tourism sites, utility infrastructure at main tourist destinations, tourism infrastructure at cultural and natural heritage sites and in community-based tourism sites.

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