Tour operators expect boom time this Durga puja season in Bengal

July 20, 2022 11:47

Tour operators are expecting a never before boom of tourist arrivals in West Bengal this Durga Puja season if there is no Covid-19 surge, with bookings and inquiries pouring in from various countries as well as other states within India.

Travel Agents Federation of India's eastern region chairman Anil Punjabi said that there will be a similar movement of travellers from West Bengal for a taste of wanderlust to various countries in Europe and the Far East, apart from domestic destinations. "This time it will be a boom. If there is no Covid surge, we are expecting big business," he told PTI.

Raj Basu, convenor of the Association for Conservation of Tourism, said that most of the destinations in forests and hills in the state have been booked from early October till after Diwali.

"With a lot of bookings and enquiries from people from various countries and Indian states, tourist arrivals to Kolkata and other parts of the state will be at an "all-time high" this time," Punjabi said.

He said that after the Durga Puja in Kolkata was included in UNESCO's representative list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2021, the interest shown in being part of it among foreigners and domestic tourists has increased manifold.

"There is big demand from foreigners to visit Kolkata and other parts of Bengal," Punjabi said. He said that NRIs accompanied by their foreign friends are expected to come from Europe, the USA, Canada, Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore. Besides, citizens of various countries will come on their own. "After the Durga Puja celebrations, many of them will also be going to the hills to enjoy cooler climes," Punjabi said.

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