Kolkata: West Bengal has emerged as the second most favourite destination for international tourists visiting India.
Maharashtra topped the list released by the Union Tourism Ministry in the India Tourism Data Compendium 2025. West Bengal drew 31 lakh international visitors in 2024. This is a 14.8% increase over 27 lakh arrivals in 2023. Arrivals from the US, Germany, and the UK rose in Bengal via hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha.
There was a dip, though, in tourists from Bangladesh following the reduction in flight count after the political turmoil. The surge in global interest in West Bengal was largely due to UNESCO recognising Durga Puja in Kolkata as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.Â
Most tour operators feel that if direct flights to Kolkata from Europe get started, Bengal will soar to #1 in India in attracting tourists. MICE tourism is also picking up in Bengal in a big way, along with leisure tourism.
According to CM Mamata Banerjee, the tourism resurgence post-COVID is a reflection of the initiatives to promote festival tourism, religious tourism, and MICE tourism, among others.
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