New Delhi, Oct. 2 -- Kolkata; Bengal is set to attract Rs 12,500 crore in tourism investments, with North Bengal accounting for Rs 9,600 crore as the region emerges as a major tourism hub. At this week's tourism investors' meet in the city, North Bengal emerged as Bengal's next major tourism investment hub.
The projects are lined up across Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Siliguri, Jalpaiguri and the Dooars, Tourism minister Shankar Ghosh said on Thursday. He said tea gardens, particularly the managers' bungalows, will be used to attract tourists to the region's tea estates.
The investment pipeline marks Bengal's shift from seasonal hill tourism towards year-round destinations, creating jobs and boosting local economic activity. Arya Tea Company plans to invest Rs 915 crore in a luxury wellness resort in Darjeeling, expected to generate around 1,750 jobs.
Ambuja Neotia Group has signed an agreement for Rs 3,015 crore worth of projects across Kolkata and North Bengal. However, the group's head, Harsh Neotia, did not specify the exact investment earmarked for North Bengal.
He said: "We stay in Bengal, so we have to invest here." "The strategy aims to boost tourist spending through longer stays and wider local participation, benefiting transport, food, retail, handicrafts and other services," Ghosh said. Officials said the investment push will leverage North Bengal's Himalayas, tea gardens, forests and wildlife, with the Dooars emerging beyond the traditional Darjeeling-Kalimpong circuit.
Bengal Tourism Secretary Barun Ray said total proposed tourism investments stand at Rs 12,500 crore, with a focus on attracting foreign tourists to Darjeeling and the Sunderbans. Meanwhile, the KK Group has earmarked Rs 700 crore for projects in Siliguri and Kolkata.
Tea estates are emerging as tourism assets, with MLA Group, Asian Group and Lakshmi Group proposing Rs 550 crore, Rs 250 crore and Rs 400 crore, respectively.
BLG Group plans Rs 390 crore across Kalimpong, Siliguri and Chalsa, while Hotel Sonar Bangla Group has announced Rs 605 crore for projects across Bengal. Sri Balaji Group has pledged Rs 800 crore across Jalpaiguri and East Midnapore, mainly targeting North Bengal, while Tulsi Group has proposed a Rs 200-crore entertainment hub in Jalpaiguri.
Siliguri is attracting further private investment, with LR Agro Products committing Rs 300 crore each to Dagapur tea estate and Holiday Inn projects in Siliguri and Durgapur. On Khaprail Road, Jongri Properties, LBS Hotels & Resorts and Four Vedas Group have proposed Rs 200 crore, Rs 150 crore and Rs 100 crore, respectively, as Bengal seeks to expand tourism's contribution to the state economy.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.