Aiming to be among top five travel destinations, the West Bengal Government today said that its two projects — Jharkali in Sundarbans and Gajoldoba near Siliguri — would help improve the tourists inflow.
West Bengal currently ranks ninth in tourism with tourists inflow of nearly 24 million per annum, and is looking to scale up inbound visitors up to 30 million over the next two years.
“We shall be adding two major destinations to our tourist circuit, one is Jharkhali in Sundarbans and Gajoldoba near Siliguri, which shall be developed as multi-tasking tourism hubs,” West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC) Managing Director Bhishmadeb Dasgupta said here.
“The two ambitious projects are expected to attract investments up to Rs 5,000 crore. Land and infrastructure will be provided by the Government, while eco-system for tourism promotion will be developed by private players on PPP model,” he said.
WBTDC said tenders for the two projects have been floated and they are likely to be finalised within the next 3-4 months.
Gajoldoba, 35 km east of Siliguri, is part of Terai-Dooars forest circuit, and is being developed as tourism hub, offering opportunities for investment.
“Jharkhali, another major tourism promotion project will be developed as eco tourism park,” a WBTDC official said.
Looking to attract more tourists from Gujarat this year, WBTDC today organised its two day long roadshow here in association with the industry body FICCI, showcasing investment and tourism opportunities in West Bengal.
This is the third roadshow in a series after Hyderabad and Chennai.
“West Bengal has a lot to offer to the tourists from the Eastern Himalayan parts to the breathtaking Dooars Valley to the vast ecology of the Sundarbans. We offer helicopter ride, cruise facility, in the city of joy,” Dasgupta said.