Plan to develop coastal tourism in Orissa and West Bengal

Bhubaneswar, Oct 23 (UNI) A joint team of experts from the United Nation's World Tourism Organisation and the Union government will prepare a report on the long term integrated sustainable development of coastal tourism in Orissa and West Bengal.

Orissa Minister for Tourism, Debi Mishra said this after he chaired a preliminary meeting convened here today for this purpose.

Among others eminent WTO Development Assistant Director, H Verma chief consultant, James Jasmine and top official of the Orissa and West Bengal tourism department attended the meeting.

Mr Mishra said though around 20 per cent of the total coastline of the country lies in Orissa and West Bengal and has a high potential for development of beach tourism but it had not developed like Kerala and Goa.

The team would prepared a vision 2022 draft plan, a long term plan for the development of coastal tourism which would give a boost to the tourism and economy.

The team would visit the coastal areas from Digha to Gopalpur from the middle of November to Middle of December and would submit a report on January 30 after assessing the potential of Talsheri, Chandipur, Dhamra,Paradeep, Hukitola, Konark, Astaranga, Gopalpur, and Chilika for development, he said.

UNI