The year started on a high note for the state as West Bengal was the theme state at the famous Surajkund crafts mela in February this year, in Haryana. Sources confirmed that the tourism department spent Rs 1 crore for the mela. The venue was decorated with traditional artwork and exquisite motifs. Around 61 artisans from Bengal participated in the fair and exhibited their art and the state’s rich tradition of crafts.

Taking the mela as a publicity platform, the tourism department started a new set of campaigns with suave-looking posters, brochures and pamphlets as part of the “Beautiful Bengal campaign, designed by the Press and Publicity Syndicate Pvt Ltd. According to sources, a total of Rs 33,000 was spent on designing the brochures for 28 locations that have been made available at all tourist offices across the state. The brochures have been designed to promote tea tourism, ecology and adventure tourism and promote certain offbeat destinations like Garubathan, Lepchajagat and Paren.

“Our campaigns have been very successful. We are looking forward to attracting more tourists at the forthcoming travel bazaar”, said TVN Rao, Managing Director, West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Limited (WBTDC).

In the first week of March, the WBTDC signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL& FS), a private firm, to form a joint venture company. The initial projects that the new company will work on include setting up of a heritage river circuit along the banks of the Ganga, a cruise circuit from Murshidabad to Sunderbans and two ropeway projects amounting to a total of Rs 487 crores.

The department has allotted Rs 5 lakh for West Bengal’s participation in The Great Indian Travel Bazaar 08, an international tourism mart to be held in Jaipur between April 21 and 23. The bazaar is organised by the ministry of Tourism, Government of India, the Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). About nine tour operators from West Bengal will participate in the mart.