While speaking at the closing ceremony of the Travel and Tourism Fair at Kolkata on Monday, Tourism Minister of Bengal Rachhpal Singh, emphasized on several upcoming projects to re stabilize the tourism industry of the state.

“By next year you will have a better Bengal”, he remarked. Some of the projects include night safaris in the forests and introduction of river and adventure sports. Singh added to the list by stating, “We have already given the tender for designing a world class tourism website.”

The Union Minister of State for Tourism Sultan Ahmed said that the central government is eager to promote the tourism industry of every part of the country including Bengal. He said, “Government of India is serious about increasing tourism in India and will support the state government of Bengal.” “Bengal has everything including culture and heritage”, he added.

He stated that the central government has prioritized several ventures in relation to Bengal tourism industry like the beautification of Ganga. He remarked, “We have given importance to Ganga beautification with development of cruise service.” “We also need to develop the temple and sufi circuits”, he added.

In the meanwhile, the tourism sector in hills has demanded that a Gorkhaland Tourism Board be set up along with an advisory committee made up of the stakeholders of the travel industry, representatives from the yet-to-be-formed Gorkhaland Territorial Administration and the state government.

Stakeholders of the tourism industry, who are keen to develop a comprehensive circuit of the Darjeeling-Sikkim-Dooars zone, alleged that the DGHC had done little to develop the infrastructure of the hills and the hope now lay on the GTA.