Siliguri, Feb. 27:
Tour operators of south and north Bengal have joined hands to crack
down on unscrupulous travel agencies which harass visitors and work
towards expanding the local tourism industry.
Tour operators said they had decided
to work together for uplift of the tourism industry because of the
government's lack of initiative in this direction.Today, the East
Himalayan Travel and Tour Operator's Association (EHTTOA) and Association
of Tourism Service Providers of Bengal (ATSPB), a Calcutta-based
group, tied up to form a monitoring committee comprising members
of both organisations.
At a seminar held here today, they discussed problems and business
opportunities for tourism in the region.
"The committee will not only work towards promoting tourist
destinations, but will also play a vital role in policy making by
extending our suggestions to the government. This committee will
persuade the government to implement measure that are necessary
for the development of tourism in the region," said Raj Basu,
working president of EHTTOA.
Focusing on the need to weed out the bad apples in the tourism
sector, the committee plans to tackle the problem of harassment
of tourists seriously.
"Keeping in mind the growing number of complaints of harassment,
we have decided to jointly open a complaint cell. The telephone
number of the cell will be displayed in strategic points and tourists
can, at any point of time, call up to lodge their complaints with
us. We will take up these complaints with the district administration,"
said general secretary of EHTTOA.
Tour operators also alleged that the government was playing little
attention to the tourism sector even after a decade of according
industry status. "For an industry like tourism which is marked
by a continuous process of change, research and development is the
key to success. The government must have a body which is assigned
this task," said Soumen Biswas, joint secretary of the ATSPB.
Courtesy
The Telegraph |
Home | About Us | Contact
Us | Site Map | Feedback
