Moreover, the ailing West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation will be revived with funds from British agency DFID for improving its infrastructure, said state Tourism Secretary Bijoy Chatterjee.

“West Bengal government is looking for this new tourism policy, armed with all modern inputs, to make the sector globally competitive and make the state an attractive tourist destination,” Chatterjee said.

Consultancy firm Ernst and Young have done a comprehensive study and prepared a roadmap. The study was submitted before the state government in November. Stating that the sector has tremendous potential, the study welcomed private investment to boost infrastructure, products, destinations and services to make it more and more attractive and competitive, he said.

“With the presence of unparalleled assets in the state, we are ready to explore more opportunities. To this end, we are incorporating suggestions by various bodies and consultants to develop, among other things, coastal tourism, tea tourism and Ganga tourism,” the secretary said. Studies were also

conducted by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in October and November on the development of coastal tourism, alongwith a master plan for developing the Sundarbans delta.

The Asian Development Bank has also prepared a roadmap for the state as part of its study to develop tourism in the country.

Chatterjee said the state has registered a 25 per cent increase in foreign tourists. The domestic sector has recorded a growth of 28 per cent.

Describing the state’s budgetary allocation in the sector as ‘not substantial’, with only Rs 10 crore in addition to another Rs 10 crore from the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund, Chatterjee hinted that the allocation will be enhanced with the induction of new tourism policy.

The state had its tourism policy formulated in 1996, after which there was no attempt to further develop the sector, he added.