Kolkata, Sept. 27 -- West Bengal received investment proposals worth around Rs 12,534 crore in the tourism sector on Sunday, with the proposed projects expected to create nearly 22,000 jobs.
The West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Limited (WBTDCL) will double its lodging capacity, with 800 existing rooms to be supplemented by another 800 rooms, Tourism Minister Shankar Ghosh said. He said all 800 existing rooms of WBTDCL would also be renovated soon, while 800 new rooms would be added to meet the growing demand for tourism lodges.
The proposals were announced at a tourism investors' meet organised by the state Tourism Department on World Tourism Day. More than 30 investors participated in the event, with proposed investments spanning hotels, tea tourism, wellness resorts, eco-tourism and tourism infrastructure.
Ghosh, who inaugurated the meet, said the investment commitments would provide fresh impetus to the sector and help put Bengal on the global tourism map. He said the government would facilitate investors in resolving issues related to project implementation.
"We want to put West Bengal on the world tourism map," Ghosh said, adding that more proposals were expected in the coming months. He also said the state's tourism policy had been submitted to the Group of Ministers and was expected to be announced along with the industrial policy before Puja. The Ambuja Neotia Group announced plans to invest Rs 3,015 crore in the hotel industry. Other investors outlined projects focusing on tea tourism, hotels and wellness resorts.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.