kolkata: In a move to give a further boost to the tourism sector that has immense employment generation potential, the state government has taken up the initiative to provide category-based certification courses for tour operators under Utkarsh Bangla.
The state government has assessed that there are tour operators belonging to different categories, based on the nature of tourists and guests they handle and categorising tour operators is a worldwide practice.
Now, the Bengal government has taken up the move to identify the categories and accordingly segregate the tour operators. Subsequently, skill development programmes would be taken up under Utkarsh Bangla programme. They would be provided with certificates for the training. Besides ensuring their recognition at the international level, it would also create more opportunities for them to get jobs.
The decision to provide the training has been taken after the nod has been given in this regard by the Cabinet during Monday's meeting.
The tour operators would come under categories including tour operators that handle only foreign tourists, domestic tour operators, adventure tour operators, tour operators that organize major programmes and meetings at different locations, etc. "It would also help tour operators to get specialized in their own sector of work," said Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi.
It needs mention that the tourism sector in Bengal has received a major facelift in the past 10 years with the initiatives taken by the state government to create necessary infrastructure for tourists.