Mr. Raj Basu

Mr. Raj Basu, also known as Supratim Basu, is known as the “Tourism Gandhi” for his deep knowledge of tourism. He founded Help Tourism in 1991. He later founded Association for Conservation & Tourism in 2001.

He has worked on cross-border relations through tourism for more than two decades with rural communities of East and Northeast India. His work also reaches Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. He is presently Secretary General of the Indo-Myanmar Fraternal Alliance and the Indo-Bhutan Friendship Association. He has initiated major tourism and conservation efforts in Nepal, Arunachal Pradesh and Northern Bangladesh.

As founder of Help Tourism, he has initiated community-based conservation actions across Sunderbans, Gorumara, Manas, Neora Valley and Loktak Lake. His work also includes cross-border conservation along the Indo-Nepal border for Singalila National Park.

He received an award from His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev during Visit Nepal Year 1998. Help Tourism has received national and international recognition under his leadership, including honours from National Geographic, Kirloskar Vasundhara, Outlook Traveller and Conde Nast Traveler.

He has been invited to speak about his Indian tourism model in London, Berlin and Singapore. He has also addressed universities and tourism forums across the world.