The Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network (HHTDN) was launched at Siliguri recently.
The Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development was initiated during a Siliguri meeting on October 6 between between 78 members of hospitality, tourism and allied sectors from North Bengal and Sikkim, stated a press release issued on Monday.
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The organization would be focusing on West Bengal, Sikkim, and Northeast India along with tourism-related development continuity with neighbouring countries.
The network would be engaging members from hospitality sector, transport sector, travel agent, NGOs, institutions related to tourism education and policy makers.
“Hospitality and tourism, today is not only an industry, which brings economic benefits, but also recognized as a major tool for sustainable development in regions where the same is being implemented,” stated the press release.
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The release further stated that this industry helps in ‘poverty alleviation, women empowerment, better people to people relations along International borders, engage youths with meaningful livelihood processes and stop migration, controls illegal trafficking, confirms peace, support conservation of local natural, cultural and historical resources, bring pride in local heritage and traditions and above all bring local development in the name of tourists’.
The network will work with the state governments for tourism development, double the tourist flow in the region by extending seasons and themes, lobby to declare tourism as an emergency service and keep it out of the purview of bandhs.
It would start with North Bengal and Sikkim as a collaboration model and then take it to other north-eastern states, and finally in rest of Hindu Kush – Himalayan landscape, the release also stated.