Biswabrata Goswami
KALYANI, 21 JAN: At a time when India is increasingly looking beyond cities to build a more inclusive and resilient economy, rural tourism has emerged as a vital bridge between culture, livelihood and sustainability. Underscoring this growing relevance, the University of Kalyani hosted a two-day National Seminar on “Rural Tourism in India: Interdisciplinary Research and Policy Implications”, bringing together scholars, policymakers and young researchers to critically examine how rural spaces can be reimagined as engines of economic and cultural renewal.
Jointly organised by the Department of Folklore, the Department of Rural Development Studies and the Department of Geography, the seminar was held on 20–21 January and witnessed wide participation from across the country. Formally inaugurating the event, Vice-Chancellor Professor Kallol Pal highlighted the expanding academic and policy significance of rural tourism, noting that it not only generates alternative employment in villages but also strengthens the rural economic base while preserving local heritage. He encouraged young scholars to engage more rigorously with this interdisciplinary field, which he described as both timely and transformative.
The keynote address was delivered by Professor Nimit Ranjan Chowdhary, Vice-Chancellor of Rajasthan Technical University and a leading authority on tourism studies. Emphasising the contribution of rural tourism to the global economy, Professor Chowdhary stressed that sustainable growth in this sector depends on safeguarding rural distinctiveness and carefully engaging with local socio-cultural and environmental contexts. “Without understanding the lived realities of rural communities, tourism-led development cannot be inclusive or enduring,” he observed.
The inaugural session was attended by several distinguished academicians, including Professor Tapati Chakrabarti, Vice-Chancellor of Kanyashree University; Professor Neelashish Nandi, Dean of the Faculty of Science; and Professor Anirban Mukhopadhyay, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Technology and Management. The academic sessions featured twelve invited speakers from reputed universities across different states, alongside international participation by Professor Ghulam Khan from Australia.
More than a hundred teachers, researchers and students from diverse disciplines took part in the seminar, with sixty research papers presented over multiple sessions. The discussions reflected a rich range of perspectives—spanning folklore, geography, development studies and environmental concerns—grounded in field-based research and critical inquiry. Participants noted that the seminar offered a rare platform for meaningful dialogue between senior scholars and emerging researchers.
Seminar Coordinator Professor Sujay Kumar Mandal described rural and cultural tourism as a rapidly evolving field with immense research potential, and called for the establishment of a dedicated department or centre for tourism studies at the University. Convenor Professor Uday Bhanu Bhattacharya echoed this view, stressing the need to strengthen teaching and research in rural tourism through an interdisciplinary framework.
A key highlight of the event was the release of the seminar’s abstract volume and a book titled Rural Tourism in West Bengal, authored by Professor Bhattacharya. The first day concluded with a cultural programme organised by the Department of Folklore, showcasing performances by students and research scholars, and anchored by Dr Debalina Debnath.
Participants widely praised the seminar for its academic depth, seamless organisation and warm hospitality, noting that the deliberations would have lasting relevance for both policy and research in rural tourism.
