West Bengal Tourism Department Urges District Judges to Speed Up Training of Service Providers

All district judges in the state of Bengal have received letters from the tourism department requesting that they speed the process of training service providers connected to the tourist sector in their districts.

The department's senior secretary, Nandini Chakravorty, said in a letter dated November 7 that district administration representatives had to take the initiative to identify "master trainers," who would then instruct service providers.

The skill of service providers—such as waiters, taxi drivers, and stewards—is crucial in the tourist industry. According to a source in the tourism department, this is the reason the state introduced the West Bengal Tourism Service Provider Capacity Building Scheme this year and is now looking to begin the training process to improve their abilities.

The decision to educate service providers comes at the same time as the hotel industry was given industrial recognition by the state cabinet.

Ever since taking over as chief minister in 2011, Mamata Banerjee has always made tourism a top focus.

Over the last ten years, the state has seen an explosion in the development of new tourist attractions and lodging facilities.

Additionally, homestay accommodations have grown throughout the years in several state districts, particularly isolated areas, and are highly sought after by travelers looking for unusual destinations. Most of the people in charge of the homestays come from rural regions. But because they work in the service sector, it's essential that they possess the fundamental knowledge in order to provide guests staying in their lodgings superior services. To make visitors' experiences unforgettable, it is also essential that those employed at all levels of the industry possess the requisite abilities, the tourism department source said.

All individuals involved in the sector and interacting with visitors will get training on three fundamental topics as part of the strategy.

These include soft skills, such being able to communicate intelligibly and amiably, having a deep understanding of the geology and history of certain Bengali regions, and providing reliable information about local lodging and transportation options.

According to reports, the department plans to choose seasoned professionals from the business as master trainers at the district level, who would then instruct others. The participants will get certificates as registered service providers when the program is over.

In reality, the department has changed several requirements regarding educational background in order to include an increasing number of individuals in the program. The effort will be successful in raising the standard of care given to visitors to Bengal. This may thus contribute to increasing the number of visitors to the state, according to an official.