Office bearers of IATO & other dignitaries at the inaugural function
The 35th annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) kick-started on September 12 with the inaugural function at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre (BBCC) in Kolkata.
The last time the City of Joy hosted IATO’s annual convention was in 2002. While speaking at the inaugural event, Debjit Dutta, Co-Chairman of the convention said, “West Bengal offers some
“Together we can take advantage of the shared border opportunities and create a circuit beyond the border. This is going to be a circuit that will sell in the next five years and West Bengal will be a gateway to it,” he added.
The MICE demand is expected to grow further in West Bengal with the opening of the international convention centre, BBCC in Kolkata, being pegged as one of the largest convention centres in South Asia.
Pronab Sarkar, Chairman of the convention said that in the next two days industry stakeholders are going to deliberate on what is required to overcome challenges being faced by the industry.
“Initiatives like single window clearance, improved wayside amenities and better air connectivity can help West Bengal to realize its true potential in the tourism sector,” he added.
Atri Bhattacharya, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Government of West Bengal said, “Cruise tourism is one of our focus areas. Four houseboats fitted with luxurious modern fixtures that also boast of conference facilities are available in Kolkata. We are also looking to put up these vessels in other water bodies in places like Mukutmanipur and Chandannagar.”
The theme of this year’s convention is ‘Is Tourism Thriving? – Challenges And Opportunities. Also present on the occasion were Gautam Deb, Tourism Minister, West Bengal who stressed on the need to promote rural tourism in the state.