Kolkata: Bengal Tourism Minister Indranil Sen on Monday said the state witnessed a record footfall of 18.4 crore tourists till date this year.
During the question answer session in the state Assembly, Sen said that 918 tourism projects have been completed in the state since 2011. He attributed the spurt in footfall of travellers to development of more
tourist spots and improvement in amenities.
“Purulia has witnessed the maximum flow of tourists this year,” said Sen. Stating that 5,322 homestays were set up in Bengal which is the highest in the country, he maintained that the list of all enlisted homestays with detailed information about them along with contact number will be soon uploaded in the websites of the Tourism department and West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Ltd for booking.
Sen said that under the instructions of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Tourism department has rejuvenated the Pathasathis across the state in PPP mode. In foreign countries, similar set ups are known as motels. In July 2022, the state Cabinet gave the nod for such facilities to be developed in the mentioned mode. “90 per cent of the Pathasathis have been handed over and we have made an SOP that includes baby sitting, breast feeding, washroom for women etc. compulsory. The six Pathasathis that are still being renovated will be completed in three months,” Sen said.