The Eastern India Travel & Tour Operators Association is all set to organise the ninth edition of the Bengal Travel Mart (BTM) from January 9 to 11 at a hotel in Siliguri.

The association that will conduct one of the largest tourism showcases in the region is an apex body of tourism stakeholders in north Bengal.

Sandipan Ghosh, the chairman of the BTM, has said the three-day event aims to promote rural tourism in north Bengal and Sikkim, and highlight the vast potential of cross-border tourism by combining the neighbouring countries of Nepal and Bhutan. “Through this platform, we seek to showcase new tourism avenues and strengthen regional collaboration.”

As of now, the association has more than 400 members in eastern and northeastern India, as well as representatives in neighbouring
countries.

Raj Basu, a veteran tourism professional and adviser to the event, said chief minister Mamata Banerjee had envisioned the concept of the travel mart during her visit to Bhutan in 2015.

“Following her visit, tourism stakeholders, under the leadership of the then state tourism minister Gautam Deb, took the initiative to launch the travel mart in 2016,” Basu said.

Explaining the choice of venue, he added that Siliguri had emerged as a key gateway not only to the northeastern states of India but also
to neighbouring nations,
such as Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar.

“Given its strategic location as a major corridor connecting the south and southeast Asia, Siliguri successfully hosted the event in the past eight years,” he said.

According to the organisers, over 150 national and international buyers (who send tourists to the state), along with a similar number of domestic and overseas exhibitors, will take part in the ninth edition of the mart.