The proposal to grant industrial status to the hotel sector has been approved by the Bengal Cabinet, an initiative aimed at boosting the tourism industry and addressing job issues ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. This move, which was made in response to a suggestion made by the State’s Tourism Department, might stimulate economic growth and revitalize the state’s tourism industry.
President of the Eastern Chapter of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of India, Sudesh Poddar, praised the ruling and emphasized the long-standing call for industrial status for the hospitality sector. He emphasized the opportunity to entice investors to support the state’s tourism industry and develop its current infrastructure.
The administration is looking into every possible way to generate jobs given the ongoing problem of job shortages, particularly in light of the impending Lok Sabha elections, according to sources within Nabanna. With the state’s massive potential for tourism, new investments in the hospitality sector are expected to create a considerable number of job opportunities.
Currently, the tourist sector makes up over 13 percent of Bengal’s GDP, which is more than the 7.5 percent average for the country. Notably, Bengal hosted 84.54 million domestic tourists in 2022 compared to around 1.04 million foreign visitors.
More than 15 lakh people are employed in the state’s tourist sector, which is predicted to grow as a result of the hospitality sector being granted industry status. Bengal’s tourism services will also be further enhanced as a result of its potential to entice large hotel chains to increase the number of rooms they offer. The Himalayan Hospitality & Tourism Development Network, the highest body representing tourism stakeholders, has Samrat Sanyal as its general secretary, and she praised the decision’s potential to grow the industry.
