With 18.5 cr visitors last yr, Bengal among top tourist destinations
Times of India | 18 March 2025
Kolkata: As many as 18.5 crore tourists — both domestic and foreign — visited Bengal last year, its highest ever, placing the state "among the top destinations of India", tourism minister Indranil Sen told the state assembly on Monday.
The figure is remarkable, considering Bangladeshi citizens — who usually form the largest chunk of visitors to the state — had been subject to stringent travel curbs since Aug, when violent protests broke out there.
The state had 14.5 crore visitors in 2023 and 8.4 crore in 2022. Of the 2022 figures, 10 lakh were foreigners, the minister said. Bengal was now competing with tourism powerhouses Kerala and Rajasthan, and had even surpassed those two states' figures last year, the minister claimed.
The minister said there were 5,322 homestays in the state, and that the tourism department was trying to improve services by imparting training to people who operate those. A govt official said efforts were on to promote "cultural tourism" through boosting the homestay infrastructure.
Anil Punjabi, Travel Agents Federation of India committee member representing East, said tourism in Bengal was experiencing "remarkable growth", driven by the state's diverse attractions and affordability. The region offered a rich mix of natural beauty, cultural heritage and modern amenities, making it a preferred destination for travellers, he said. Punjabi said the main reasons for this were its diverse landscapes, cultural and historical riches, affordable travel and accommodation, rich wildlife and ecotourism and being well-connected.
Debjit Dutta, chairman, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), West Bengal chapter, said Bengal's tourism surge was no accident but the result of strategic efforts by govt and industry. "Recent state-supported events have positioned us firmly on the global tourism map," he added.
A govt official said Bengal's tourism figure could have been much higher, had the Bangladesh trouble not occurred. Since Aug 2024, the main chunk of visas being granted to a Bangladeshi citizen were for medical reasons, the official added.