Kolkata: The West Bengal Tourism department has signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with FAITH for preparing a roadmap for further development of tourism in the state.
Nandini Chakraborty, Principal Secretary of the state Tourism department, and Rajiv Mehra, Honorary Secretary, FAITH, were present during the signing of the MoU at the two-day business summit that concluded on Thursday.
Co-Chairman of the Bengal Tourism committee Rudra Chatterjee said that over the next eight years, the state Tourism department and FAITH will work together to develop Bengal as the number one tourism destination in the country.
FAITH is the policy federation of all the national associations representing the complete tourism, travel and hospitality industry of India.
Chatterjee added that 30 percent of the state's GDP comes through tourism and in the next three years, the state government along with the private sector will invest Rs 5000 crore that will create jobs for 200,000 people.
He added that the state's homestay policy with 800 of them getting registered under the state government has provided a major boost to the tourism sector. "Religious tourism has enormous potential and the total economic worth of Durga Puja alone is over Rs 32000 crore, according to a study by the British Council that was commissioned by the state government," he added.