The Bengal government move of increasing the budgetary allowance for tourism sector for the financial year 2012-13 to Rs 90 crore has been welcomed by the industry.

The 104 per cent increase from an earlier earmarked Rs 44 crore comes at a time when the state government is taking special care to develop the tourism sector. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has been roped in to be the brand ambassador of West Bengal and chief minister Mamata Banerjee is making tall claims of transforming Kolkata to London, Darjeeling to Switzerland, Digha and Mandarmani to Goa and Sunderbans to an African Safari experience.

According to Saugat Mukherjee, regional director of CII eastern region, it is a welcome step. “West Bengal has immense potential to become an important tourist destination,” he said.

For the last three years, CII has been organising ‘Destination East’, a buyer-seller meet where international players from the tourism sector are invited to visit various tourism destinations in the state and also to meet the local stakeholders, to promote Bengal in the tourism space.

“This year 52 international travel agents, hoteliers, tour operators and travel journalists from 14 different countries - Thailand, Bangladesh, Vietnam, UK, South Korea, Singapore, Cambodia, France, China, Netherlands, Russia, Hongkong,Germany and Malaysia - were taken on familiarity trip to Darjeeling, Dooars and Sunderbans in West Bengal and also to various locations in the neighbouring states Bihar, Odisha and Sikkim,” the CII director said.

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