West Bengal has initiated a new phase of tourism planning under the leadership of Dr Shankar Ghosh, Minister-in-Charge, Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal. The state has begun structured consultations with industry stakeholders to formulate a tourism roadmap aimed at strengthening growth, investment, connectivity, and destination competitiveness.
The initiative was launched during Ghosh’s first consultative meeting with representatives of leading national and regional tourism and hospitality associations in Kolkata. The meeting was attended by Purnima Chakraborty, Minister of State, Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal, Barun Kumar Ray, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal, Soumitra Shankar Sengupta, Director of Tourism, Government of West Bengal, senior departmental officials, and tourism industry representatives.
The consultation marked the beginning of a Government–Industry partnership to develop both a Short-Term Tourism Action Plan and a Long-Term Tourism Development Roadmap. The objective is to position tourism as a major contributor to economic growth, employment generation, investment, entrepreneurship, and cultural preservation across the state.
Five strategic priorities announced
Presenting his vision for the sector, Ghosh outlined five strategic priorities that will guide tourism development in West Bengal.
The first focuses on converting the state’s tourism potential into measurable outcomes through policy reforms, infrastructure development, investment promotion, authentic tourism statistics, and implementation-led governance.
The second seeks to ensure that tourism remains inclusive and accessible while creating high-quality experiences for domestic and international visitors.
The third priority centres on the development of Experience Bengal 2.0, a destination branding and marketing initiative designed to position West Bengal as a leading destination for experience-led and responsible tourism through integrated marketing, digital innovation, and product development.
Under the fourth priority, the Government aims to strengthen air, rail, road, and river connectivity and establish West Bengal as a gateway to Eastern and North-Eastern India as well as neighbouring countries.
The fifth priority focuses on building stronger partnerships among government agencies, industry stakeholders, investors, local communities, and allied departments while improving ease of doing business.
Industry inputs to shape policy
Industry representatives submitted recommendations covering destination marketing, infrastructure, connectivity, tourism statistics, investment promotion, policy reforms, skill development, sustainable tourism, and ease of doing business.
The consultation also highlighted the potential of niche segments including river tourism, heritage tourism, adventure tourism, and medical tourism.
One of the key outcomes was the proposal to formulate an integrated West Bengal Tourism Master Policy that would bring tourism-related policies under a unified framework to strengthen the state’s positioning in domestic and international markets.
Industry Status for tourism and its effective implementation through appropriate incentives, rules, and inter-departmental coordination also featured prominently in discussions.
Facilitation cell announced
To ensure structured stakeholder participation, tourism associations have been invited to submit organisational profiles, recognised membership details, and presentations outlining their three-year vision, sector-specific priorities, and recommendations aligned with the Government’s five strategic priorities.
The Department also announced the creation of a Special Tourism Facilitation Cell to receive, evaluate, and facilitate tourism-related proposals involving projects, investments, marketing initiatives, and promotional activities.
The Government further confirmed that regular consultative meetings and thematic working groups will be institutionalised to ensure continued dialogue and industry participation in policy formulation and implementation.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment from both the Government and tourism industry to position West Bengal among India’s leading destinations for experience-led, responsible, and sustainable tourism while generating greater investment, employment, and inclusive economic growth.
Rahul Bhadana is a digital editor at TravTalk with experience spanning multiple content niches, with a strong focus on travel trade journalism and digital publishing. A graduate of Delhi University, his work covers editorial writing, content strategy and platform-led storytelling, supporting TravTalk’s digital growth and industry engagement. A technology enthusiast, he enjoys films, poetry and exploring new ideas across media and culture.