A recent change in government of West Bengal has also brought some really young, talented people into power. One of them is PhD scholar Dr. Sankar Ghosh, who is currently serving as the Minister of Tourism for the state. In a recent event in Kolkata, organised by PRSI Kolkata Chapter, this young & energetic minister laid out his government’s vision on how to make West Bengal one of the top tourist destinations of India. While giving his speech, he said something remarkable that may not have been looked at before, which is that tourism is not just for the classes, but for the masses.
At the 56th AGM of the Public Relations Society of India, Kolkata Chapter, held at Saturday Club, Minister Ghosh laid out a vision of various infra projects, highlighting infra for lower middle class travellers too. This segment — the lower middle class traveller — is an untouched segment. This segment is mostly inclined toward religious tourism & occasional local tours, not more than a day or two. Good infra, consisting of a small kitchen with toilets, along with liveable rooms around these religious circuits, can immensely boost up the infra & economy of this segment.
New lodges, loosely based on the ideas of older dharamshalas & ashrams, can be built by the government, and even the private sector can participate. New roads & transport sector, and an FMCG ecosystem catering only to the lower middle class segment, can develop. This policy, if implemented, is revolutionary in itself. Currently, this sector exists, but there is no structure to it. If a policy is built, then a structure can be created in this industry.
This initiative can create a tremendous level of employment & also improve last mile connectivity in many areas. The lower middle class tends to come from a rural background, and with greenery around, mostly prefer religious & offbeat places, compared to upper class tourists who like concrete & more urban areas. Investing in this sector also means incentivizing environment protection & greenery.
