Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) and the Department of Tourism – Govt of West Bengal signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Kolkata on December 01, 2023, at the ITC Royal Bengal.
The signing ceremony took place in the presence of the TAAI National Managing Committee, along with its Regional and Chapter Chairpersons. Jyoti Mayal, President of TAAI, and Nandini Chakravorty, Secretary of Tourism for the Government of West Bengal, were the signatories to the MoU.
The West Bengal Tourism Department desires to unlock the tourism potential in the state, connect tourism with the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the state thereby promoting and protecting folk art, craft and folk genres, evolve other tourism narratives including but not limited to rural tourism including homestays, eco-tourism, river tourism, MICE tourism, heritage tourism and skill the tourism stakeholders to provide employment and ensure seamless delivery of services to tourism stakeholders.
TAAI desires to work with the State of West Bengal to maximise the potential of its tourism sector, creating job opportunities, ensuring sustainability, and fostering economic and inclusive growth for the State. TAAI thanked the Tourism Secretary for considering its proposal on the State’s Tourism Policy and also granting Industry status to the Tourism and Hospitality Sector. TAAI also requested the department include Travel Agents and Tour Operators in the policy granting industry status.
TAAI desires to work together with the State of West Bengal on enhancing Domestic, Inbound and Outbound Tourism as per below:
- Study the policies related to tourism development, investment opportunities in tourism and connected areas and economic data of relevance to the Tourism sector in the State.
- Assist in obtaining clarifications on travel-related policies and programs of specific concern.
- Identify bottlenecks in the expansion of tourism traffic and visitor interaction and recommend ways and means for removal of barriers with special emphasis on facilitating flow of tourist traffic in the state.
- Promote and facilitate undertaking of tourism-related projects or other related activities.
- Support and encourage participation of the business communities and other tourism segments in travel mart and exhibitions, tourist festivals being held from time to time.
- Facilitate organizing seminars, workshops and interface meetings, and also meetings at regular intervals between the members of the two organisations with a view to exploring and discussing new opportunities and avenues for larger inflow and outflow of tourism traffic, helping sort out areas of irritants and creating necessary climate conducive to investment in tourism industry.
- Provide assistance to constitute joint committees or forums for business and government interaction and organising joint programmes.
- Identify and explore ways and means to increase business opportunities for the members of the Tourism Department, Government of West Bengal and TAAI.
- TAAI will make all efforts to connect the Airlines (operating to and from India) and WBTDCL for increase in International Connectivity to Kolkata and project it as an important gateway to Eastern India. TAAI members shall give full support in enhancing the air capacity to and from CCU internationally.
