West Bengal Tourism Road Show (Day 1)

Hyderabad, 6th July, 2013: The two day West Bengal Tourism Road Show organized by FICCI in partnership with Government of West Bengal, kicked off on Saturday at Hotel Golkonda, Hyderabad. The Road show was formally launched by Mr. Vikram Sen, Principal Secretary Tourism, Government of West Bengal; in the presence of Mr. Bishmadev Dasgupta, Managing Director, West Bengal Tourism; Mr. Rahul Chakravarty, FICCI; Mr. Musham Ashok, President AP Tour Operators Association & MD, Classic Holidays and Mr. Rahul Basu, President, Bengalis in Hyderabad. Speaking on the occasion Mr. Vikram Sen said, the Chief Minister of West Bangal, Ms. Mamta Banerji, has identified tourism as a major thrust area of her government and is laying emphasis on building sound tourism infrastructure for a cozy and comfortable experience for tourists. People from the south have been keen to visit West Bengal, but connectivity has been an issue of concern to them. Today Kolkatta is connected well from Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh with multiple rails, flights of various airlines including Indigo with four flights a day from Hyderabad to Kolkatta. During Puja season, IRCTC can organize special coaches for tourists from Hyderabad.

Mr. Sen said, West Bengal Tourism presents attractive mountainous, jungle, beach, heritage destinations including Darjeeling hill station with its unique UNESCO listed heritage toy train, tea gardens, Sunderbans with its Royal Bengal tigers, forests of Dooars region with rich flora & fauna and colorful cultural attractions. The biggest tourist attraction is the Durga Puja festivities, which is beginning from October 4th this year. Durga Puja is the biggest carnival in the world, the Durga pandals attract a billion people every day with vibrant atmosphere, an experience you will never forget, he said. Mr. Sen said, West Bengal is offering attractive tourist package to suit all budgetary pockets. From south 30% of the tourists are from the 16 to 25 age group, West Bengal is extending 25% concession to students at its tourist lodges. Mr. Vikram Sen said, Government of West Bengal is encouraging films shooting in the state. Three new private studios with state of the art equipment have come up. An index book with contact details of studios, technicians, local artists is being prepared. The infrastructure and technicians and artists will be available at a third of the cost from bigger cities. The Government is also extending a concession of Rs 2 lakhs per film on submission of expense bills. He wanted people from Tollywood to come forward and invest in studios in West Bengal.

The Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal has in its Road Show series in important cities in the Country, has organized its first show in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh in collaboration with FICCI at Golkonda Hotel. The Road Show has, apart from general events and destinations of Tourism attractions, focused on the forthcoming Durga Puja Carnival which is the biggest socio cultural festival of West Bengal. The West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation has come up with as many as seventeen Puja packages in the Road Show. Anybody can book their trips under the packages instantly from the West Bengal Tourism Counter. Similarly, a number of Tour Operators including the Air India, IRCTC, 5-star category Hoteliers of West Bengal and other River Cruisers have also announced their own packages for the Road Show to attract people from Hyderabad joining the Puja Celebration in Kolkata and West Bengal. The Tourism Department is also dealing separately with the investment opportunity in Tourism Sector of the State inviting local investors in the Road Show and explaining to them about the opportunities that the State has decided to offer. Some of the Mega Tourism Projects having such opportunity of investment include Gajoldoba Tourism Hub, Jharkhali Eco Tourism Park, Big Hotel Project at Digha, Darjeeling, and Training Institutes to offer Degrees and diplomas in Hospitality Sector etc. In order to highlight the various Cultural attractions of the State the Tourism Departments is also organizing Cultural Show after the first days' Programme from 6.00 PM at the same venue.

About 200 local Tour operators from Hyderabad are expected to join the Road Show for B2B activities on 6th & 7th July 2013 at the same venue. A large number of citizens from the City are expected in the Road Show. Media Houses across the Country in general applauded the initiative of the Government of West Bengal in its endeavor to showcase the Tourism.