West Bengal’s tourism department plans to promote the state at major international travel fairs in Spain and Germany, along with domestic events across India, in an effort to increase foreign and domestic tourist arrivals and position Bengal as a year-round destination.
Tourism officials said the state would set up pavilions showcasing its rivers, forests, mountains and cultural heritage. The planned displays will give specific attention to Hooghly river tourism, hill tourism and coastal destinations such as Digha and Mandarmani.
According to officials, West Bengal is currently the sixth most visited state in India and has the country’s second-highest number of foreign tourist arrivals after Maharashtra. About 30 crore domestic tourists and 40 lakh foreign travellers visited the state last year, the officials said.
The international outreach will include participation in travel and tourism fairs in Spain and Germany. The tourism department expects these events to provide direct access to overseas tour operators and travel agents who can help promote West Bengal in international markets. The state also plans to participate more aggressively in domestic travel fairs in major Indian cities, targeting the growing internal travel market and demand for weekend trips and cultural tourism.
The promotional plan covers a wide range of destinations and experiences, including heritage circuits, ecotourism sites, adventure sports, wellness retreats and local cuisine. The department’s focus on specific destination segments reflects an effort to present West Bengal as more than a single-city or single-attraction tourism market.
The state has also received investment proposals from more than 25 investors, amounting to Rs 12,530 crore, for tourism-related development. Officials said the proposals were particularly focused on tea tourism, wellness resorts and ecotourism. The source report did not specify the stage of approval, location-wise distribution or implementation timeline for these proposals.
The tourism department is additionally preparing for Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas, which the state is scheduled to host in the city from January 7 to 9. As part of the programme, the department plans to arrange guided excursions across West Bengal for foreign delegates visiting the event.
The planned promotion comes as the state seeks to connect destination marketing with tourism infrastructure and private investment. While the department has outlined its international and domestic outreach programme, details such as the number of fairs, pavilion budgets, participating agencies and expected visitor targets have not been provided in the announcement. The next steps will include participation in the identified travel marts and the organisation of guided excursions linked to Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas.
