‘Every tourist lodge to have 7 to 8 kiosks showcasing products of local artisans’
To woo visitors: DMs asked to improve infra leading to the tourist spots
KOLKATA: The state government is going all out to woo both domestic and foreign tourists. In a recent meeting with the District Magistrates, Chief Secretary has instructed them to improve infrastructure leading to the tourist spots.
It was decided that every tourist lodge will have 7 to 8 kiosks to showcase the products of Manjusha, Tantuja and those made by local artisans. T-shirts and memorabilia will sold from the kiosks. Anandadhara, the Self Help Group (SHG) run by the Panchayats and Rural Development Department, will be engaged to make the T-shirts and memorabilia.
Senior state government officials said the T-shirts have huge demand as the tourists visiting the places want to carry those as mementos.
The state government will give financial assistance to the owners of homestays. The homestays have become popular and their number stands at about 1704 now.
Foreign tourists are regularly coming to attend folk festivals in different districts, which are held round the year. Private agencies are making arrangement for their food and lodging.
The District Magistrates have been asked to improve the infrastructure in these areas.
The PataChitra festival in West Midnapore and the wooden doll festival in South 24-Parganas have become famous and are attracting foreign tourists.
A senior state government official said in 2020 and 2021 the tourism industry was badly hit by the pandemic.
It is limping back to normalcy and during the Pujas it is going to shoot up again, he said. Tourism centered around old palaces of the zamindars in the districts has gained momentum.
In Murshidabad and East Midnapore, hundreds of people stay in these houses during the Durga Puja. They visit the nearby villages and take part in local Pujas.
Earlier, in a bid to fast track the process of registration of homestays across the state, the state Tourism department had introduced online method of application seeking registration for homestays.
Secretary of the Tourism department Saumitra Mohan recently held a virtual workshop with the concerned officers of his department at the district level so that they have a fair knowledge of dealing with
The state government will give financial assistance to the owners of homestays. The homestays have become popular and their number stands at about 1704
online applications and disposing them off quickly.
“Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her recent administrative review meetings at the district-level has urged our department to take measures to boost homestay tourism across the state and we are leaving no stone unturned in this regard,” a senior official of the Tourism department had said.
Earlier, The state Tourism department had started providing incentive worth Rs 1.5 lakh to each of the registered homestays across the state for upgradation of their infrastructure.
The move has turned a boon for the 700 odd homestay owners, whose businesses were badly affected by the COVID19 pandemic situation.