Bengal govt courts foreign investment to boost tourism
Times of India | 8 August 2026
Kolkata: To attract more foreign tourists, Bengal govt is talking to stakeholders in both India and abroad. On Thursday, tourism minister Shankar Ghosh met representatives of an Australia-based company interested in setting up hotels in coastal regions of the state.
“An Australia-based company met us on Thursday, and they are planning to invest in the hospitality sector. They are interested in some properties in coastal areas,” said Ghosh.
Ghosh had earlier said that if international wildlife reserves like South Africa’s Kruger National Park can attract massive foreign crowds, iconic locations like Sundarbans should as well.
“Foreign tourists to Purulia alone should increase by 10 lakh in a year,” said Ghosh, adding, “We are trying to ensure that tourism remains inclusive and accessible while creating high-quality experiences for domestic and international visitors.”
In 2024, the state attracted 31 lakh international visitors, up from 27 lakh in 2023. Last year, more than 27 lakh foreign tourists arrived between Jan and June.
The state aims to develop “Experience Bengal 2.0”, a destination branding and marketing initiative to position Bengal as a leading tourist haven.
The govt plans to create a tourist data bank in collaboration with IIT Kharagpur by analysing tourist behaviour, preferences and travel trends. This data will help to identify places in need of new tourism infrastructure, further investment in tourism and lesser-known tourist destinations that should be promoted more extensively.
“The volume of tourists is steadily increasing at several popular tourist destinations across Bengal,” Ghosh said.
“The earlier govt did not even consider the tourism sector to be a revenue earner. However, we have already started implementing plans. There are plans about Durga Puja too and Bengal will witness a significant spike in foreign tourist inflow during this period,” Ghosh said.