Kolkata: The state Tourism department is planning to make Kolkata suitable for MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Conference, and Events) tourism.
On Thursday, at a conclave arranged by the India Convention Promotion Bureau, Atri Bhattacharya, principal secretary, state Tourism department, said the MICE tourism needs to be boosted in Bengal.
He also mentioned that Bengal has potential to grow MICE tourism like it has emerged in some other states of the country. Apart from this, sources informed that a team from Tourism department will soon visit the United Kingdom to attract more people in Bengal.
During his speech at the conclave held at Biswa Bangla Convention Center, Bhattacharya mentioned that New Town has world class facilities when it comes to tourism. He believes to attract people from various countries, the trend needs to be set and understood.
He said: "We need more data to understand from the countries our guests arrive and what they do during their visit. This is very essential to plan future prospects." He also mentioned that if the number of direct flights with some parts of world could be increased, then it would be a plus point for the tourism sector.
According to sources at state Tourism department, a delegation team will visit the UK during the first week of September this year.
This visit is meant to attract tourists from the UK during Durga Puja in Bengal. Also, the team will discuss about the possibilities of introducing more flights to and from Kolkata.
During the conclave, HIDCO chairman Debashis Sen said: "Business tourism is being looked into very seriously. We are all out in formulating strategies for making it a success."