Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday underscored the surge in the footfall of foreign tourists in Bengal, calling it “tourism resurgence” after the Covid period.
Mamata was referring to the India Tourism Data Compendium 2025 compiled by the Union tourism ministry, which shows that the highest number of foreign tourists in 2024 was recorded in Maharashtra, followed by Bengal.
Tourism contributes around 11 per cent of Bengal's GDP, more than twice the national average of 5.22 per cent. Globally, India holds the 20th position as a tourist destination, the compendium said.
Mamata, who has always given importance to tourism, took to X on Wednesday to state: "Proud to share that West Bengal has emerged as one of the most favoured international tourist destinations in the country, and has achieved another great milestone! In the recently released India Tourism Data Compendium 2025 by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, West Bengal has attracted the 2nd highest foreign tourist footfall in the country!”
According to the data, 3.71 million foreign tourists have visited Maharashtra, which is 17.69 per cent of the total foreign tourists in India during the year.
In Bengal, the number of foreign tourists was 3.12 million, 14.92 per cent of the total in the country.
Following Maharashtra and Bengal are Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan, says the data.
In her post, the chief minister also pointed out that the rise in foreign tourists in Bengal was because of the state’s initiatives to promote new experiences.
“The tourism resurgence post covid is a reflection of the initiatives taken by us to create and to promote new verticals of tourism, including festival tourism, religious tourism, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism, among others. I welcome all tourists, both domestic and foreign, to visit West Bengal, the sweetest part of India, and experience its beauty, culture and heritage,” she wrote, thanking tourism stakeholders.
In 2024, 20.57 million international tourists visited the country, which is around 14.85 percent higher than in 2019 and 8.89 percent more than in 2023.
It also states that though Bengal ranks second in foreign tourist arrivals in 2024, it ranks seventh in terms of domestic tourism.
Uttar Pradesh, with 21.94 per cent of domestic tourists, tops this category. Bengal’s share is 6.26 per cent.
Tourism stakeholders welcomed the news. “It is definitely a positive trend, and we hope more foreign tourists keep coming. The state government consistently works to promote tourism, and we are working together to increase the inflow of domestic tourists as well,” said Samrat Sanyal, general secretary, Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network.
Debashis Chakraborty, the general secretary of Eastern Himalaya Travel and Tour Operators’ Association, said more foreign tourists would draw fresh investments in Bengal. He noted that despite fewer tourists from Bangladesh, Bengal ranked the second in terms of foreign tourists.