The Bengal government is making all efforts to improve the tourism infrastructure in the Sunderbans and has solicited the participation of the private sector in the matter, state tourism minister Indranil Sen told the Assembly on Thursday.
During the question hour, Sen, in his reply to a query, said the government, with the engagement of the private sector, is planning to set up eco-friendly hotels and entertainment arenas around the mangrove forest.
The state, since 2011, has introduced some package tours from the city to the Sunderbans using two tourism department vessels that ferry the tourists to the jungles and back.
Sen said the government was also weighing the possibilities of starting houseboat services in the next six months in several large water bodies, much like the ones in Kashmir.
The Sunderbans is spread across 10,000sqkm, a little above 4,000sqkm of which is in India.
Tourists to the Sunderbans mainly visit forest camps on several islands, including the Sajnekhali sanctuary, Dobanki, Jhinkhali, Jharkhali and Bali.
