The national tourism committee of The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCC&I), the oldest chamber of commerce in India, recently organised a series of B2Bs, interaction with MICE tour operators and a meeting with Andaman and Nicobar Islands chief secretary Keshav Chandra. It aimed at promoting and executing the tourism ministry’s programmes on ‘Dekho Apna Desh, Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’, Yuva Tourism and Travel for Life in Port Blair and Havelock Island from May 17 to 21
Official Press Release photographsAdhip Nath Palchaudhuri, co-chairperson, national tourism committee, BCC&I, and director service businesses, Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd., announced a groundbreaking initiative aimed at promoting responsible and sustainable tourism. The initiative featured a B2B meeting with MICE operators from Kolkata, Delhi and Patna to explore business opportunities in the Andaman region, covering tourism, hospitality, and agriculture sectors. Supported by the tourism ministry and partners like Balmer Lawrie & Co Ltd, Makruzz Ferries, IndiGo and others, the event aligned with the #DekhoApnaDesh, #EKBHARATSHRESHTHABHARAT and #TravelforLiFE programmes
BCC&I’s initiative aims to bring large-scale behavioural change among tourists and tourism businesses to impact environmental protection and climate action. Its initiative calls for promoting circular economy in place of ‘use-and-dispose’ economy, which is very common among tourists. The initiative also included scuba diving to promote ocean economy and conservation. This unique effort underscored India’s potential as a leading MICE destination and highlighted the importance of sustainable practices
Apart from business meeting and promotional programmes, the BCC&I delegation headed by Adhip Nath Palchaudhuri and its director-general Subhodip Ghosh took part in various initiatives which promote responsible and sustainable tourism and participated in activities which enhance local economy and livelihood. Such activities include ethical scuba, jungle treks, tidal walks which involve maximum community involvement and less use of automobiles
Mohamed H. Jadwet, director of Makruzz Ferries, the official cruise partner of the initiative, and chairman of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) Andaman chapter, expressed his pleasure in being associated with the BCC&I, Kolkata, in promoting the Andaman Islands. He said: ‘Organising a B2B meet in the islands for MICE operators and bringing a delegation of leading travel agents and tour operators from Delhi and Kolkata for a familiarisation trip will go a long way in promoting and bringing the Andaman Islands on the world and domestic tourism map’
Senior tourism ministry officials and the delegation interacted with stakeholders from the hospitality and tourism business sector. The interactions focused on saving of energy, saving of water, saying ‘no’ to single-use plastic, reduction of waste, empowerment of local businesses and communities, respecting local culture and heritage, consumption of local food, conservation of natural heritage by tourists and businesses