Travel Pro managing director and CII tourism sub-committee chairman, Davendra Parekh, said the Indian government was improving tourism infrastructure at a rapid pace.
“The new government sees the importance and potential of tourism,” said Mr Parekh. “More infrastructure will be built according to the new government’s policy,” he added.
“The new airport in Kolkata is scheduled to open June, next to the old airport with a capacity to handle 20 million a year.”
However, he admitted the airport had been plagued by delays and there was no guarantee that it would open in time to meet the latest deadline in June.
“We are confident that once it opens we can attract airlines such as Qatar Airways, British Airways, Air Mauritius and Cathay Pacific that have all been linked to talks on new services,” he said.
Kolkata has 3,500 rooms of which 2,000 rooms are five-star and 1,500 three to four-star hotels. In two years the city should add 2,000 rooms in 10 to 12 four-star properties alone.