To fly: travel mart, not flights - Govt plans tourism Jamboree before polls

TT, Siliguri, Feb. 17: The state government has planned a travel mart from February 26-28 to bring tourism stakeholders from across the country to Bengal for the first time, the timing of which Opposition parties have questioned as it comes months before Assembly elections.

Trinamul's rivals pointed out that when the state government had been unable to put in place an instrument landing system in Bagdogra airport to guide commercial flights for want of land, there was little point in talking about attracting tourism.

This will be the first time such a tourism event will be organised in the state, where industry officials, businessmen and operators would gather for business-to-business meetings, seminars, sessions, cultural dos and familiarisation trips so that people coming from outside the state - most of them prominent tour operators who send tourists in Bengal - can know more about the region.

The event, which is expected to bring 80 delegates from across the country and some from other countries, is being organised by the tourism and the north Bengal development departments.

The Eastern Himalayan Travel and Tour Operators' Association, which is the largest body of travel industry agents in north Bengal, is in charge of the legwork for the mart.

North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb said today: "Our principal aim is to showcase Bengal as an ideal tourist destination before domestic and international tourists. Those working in the tourism sector will participate in the travel mart and would be apprised of the tourist destinations, cultural heritage, unique features, culinary and other attractions of our state."

This winter, over 40 flights that were to land in Bagdogra were cancelled because of fog and bad weather conditions.

Jibesh Sarkar, the Darjeeling district CPM secretary, said the government has repeatedly used funds to host fests. "The upcoming event, we apprehend, is another such fest which has been planned ahead of elections to trumpet the state's so-called initiatives in tourism," he said.

"We would always welcome a rise in the number of tourists as it would bring revenue to the region but there are gross differences in the elaborate announcements that are made by the state and what is done ultimately on the ground," Sarkar said.

"The instrument landing system has not yet been installed at Bagdogra as the state could not hand over necessary land to the Airports Authority of India till now. Flights are regularly cancelled in the winter and rainy seasons. When there are such uncertainties regarding air travel, how can we expect tourists to pour in?" he asked.

Congress leaders said the state government had been unable to mend NH55, a key road to the Darjeeling hills.

"As far as employment generation in north Bengal is concerned, Trinamul hardly has anything to show as there had been no major industrial investment in the region in the past four-and-a-half years," said Sankar Malakar, the Darjeeling district Congress president who is also the Matigara-Naxalbari MLA. "The party is trying to play the tourism card to woo voters in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar districts by hosting such an event. It is trying to prove that there are fresh employment opportunities. This will not work."

Malakar said the state should have focused on improvement of infrastructure.

"The NH55, which is the principal road to Darjeeling, is still non-functional between Kurseong and Siliguri and the state did not insist before the Centre to see that the repair is expedited. Also, toy train service resumed from Siliguri to Darjeeling after a gap of four years. There was no initiative from the state's side to push the railways," he said.

District Trinamul leaders, however, said that by hosting the mart proved the state's seriousness about tourism.

"There is no doubt that since 2011, the tourism sector in north Bengal has recorded unprecedented growth. The upcoming event, planned to showcase Bengal, indicates the state's seriousness to promote tourism. Those who are scoffing at the initiative are doing so with political intentions," Nantu Paul, the vice-president of Darjeeling district Trinamul, said.