Santanu Saraswati
Bengal tourism might have topped in eastern India in spending on advertising for drawing tourists from across the border, but if one goes by the number of foreign tourists visiting the state, it still way behind states like Rajasthan, Kerala and even Uttar Pradesh.
As per the figures provided by the state tourism department the total global tourists inflow in the state in the first six months of 2008 was 120,76,102 and increase by 6,38,256 in just 17 years (!) even after being blessed by sea, mountains, forests, historical sites and picturesque rural villages—what can make any state tourism department jealous.
The state tourism minister, Manabendranath Mukhopadhyay, however, observed that tourism was never marketed as commodity before 2006—the year he took over as the minister. The minister also blamed the ongoing political turmoil in the Hills for poor show in drawing tourists from abroad. But the reality is, Bengal never gave thrust on developing a proper infrastructure for developing the tourism industry in the state. The number of global tourists—that is helping the department proud of—more than 70 per cent came to India just to taste the beauties of the Himalayan mountain and Darjeeling—the town that never required advertising to attract global tourists.
It was in 2007 that the state understood the importance of participating in a global tourism fair in ITB Berlin—where the then principal secretary, G D Gautama, for the first time showcased Bengal to the world—the process, which states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and even Uttar Pradesh were doing since early 80’s.
Tour operators in Bengal, too, could be held responsible for Bengal’s poor show. More than 90 per cent of the tour operators operating in the state do brisk business by taking tourists to other states and countries from Bengal, rather promoting Bengal tourism to the people of other states. True, they have very justified complaints—complaints against poor infrastructural support. There are places like Sunderbans—the world’s largest mangrove forest and World Heritage Site—where the state failed to develop good affordable hotels for tourists. What Sunderbans have, are out of the reach of common middle class tourists bugs.
“Tourism was never an industry in Bengal. It remained as a mere government department. But no government can be successful in doing business. Carrying on business with cross subsidy can never yield result. Just see the bungalows, the department has in some tourist sites, they are just horrible for living. We need private participation to run the show as it is being done in states like Rajasthan, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh,” said former state tourism minister, Dinesh Dakua.
However, there is good news for the state tourism industry. In a bid to boost tourism in the eastern part of the country and promote an integrated Eastern India tourism corridor comprising five states-West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and Chattisgarh—the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Eastern Region, has recently formed a special 20-member tourism committee from the tourism department of the five states and various stakeholders. The special tourism committee has come out with a comparative analysis study called “Vision Tourism” which outlines the potential and prospects of Eastern India, a comparative analysis between these states based on tax structure, tourism potential, infrastructure, budget allocation, connectivity, best practices, skill website updating, online booking facilities etc.
“Only website and on-line booking facilities won’t help. What this state lack, is a professional approach for aggressive marketing in European nations as well as to USA and Canada. Otherwise, no effort will succeed,” said a highly placed official with a tourism department.
santanu_saraswati@hotmail.com
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