A family from Behala booked a trip to Europe in October.
A retired couple from New Town were enquiring about Vietnam in winter.
Another couple from Bansdroni were torn between Kerala and Madhya Pradesh for an October trip.
A travel fest at Netaji Indoor Stadium, which kicked off on Friday, brought together tourists and tour operators from different corners.
Anandabazar Patrika Tourist Spot 2025 started with the promise of being a one-stop solution for all travel queries to destinations in India and abroad.
The three-day fest had more than 160 stalls, most set up by tour operators. The fest is supported by the Union tourism ministry and the IRCTC and partnered by the Travel Agents Association of Bengal.
The tourism boards of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Bihar, Jharkhand, Kerala and Telangana have participated in the fair.
An igloo-shaped stall offering budget-friendly trips to Iceland. Another, modelled on the London bus, had a bouquet of Europe tours on offer.
Europe and Southeast Asia were among the most coveted destinations abroad, the first day of the fair suggested.
Debjani Banerjee, 48, had come with her 15-year-old daughter, Krishnachura. She booked a tour of Europe between October 4 and 25 with a travel operator. It covers England, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy and The Vatican.
“We cannot live without going to new places. Trips are like oxygen for us,” said Banerjee, who teaches history at a college in South 24-Parganas.
Dulal Chandra Sarkar, 70, and his wife Deepika, 65, were asking about Vietnam, another popular foreign destination.
“Our last international trip was to Thailand in December 2024. There are several destinations in Southeast Asia that we want to explore,” said Sarkar, a retired income tax officer.
“We recorded 2.2 crore domestic tourists in 2024. Of them, around 1.6 lakh were from Bengal,” said Sajeev K.R., information officer with Kerala Tourism.
Kerala is focusing on destination weddings, he said. “We had around 1,000 destination weddings in 2024. The number should go up this year,” he said.
Madhya Pradesh, known for forests and Unesco sites like Khajuraho, Sanchi and Bhimbetka, is offering eco-friendly experiences, adventure activities and wellness retreats, while also promoting rural tourism.
“With the largest forest area in India, Madhya Pradesh’s natural beauty is a treasured draw for visitors. Sites such as Pachmarhi, Amarkantak, Bhedaghat, Hanuwantiya, Gandhisagar, Tamia, Sailani Island, and Sarsi Island are major hubs for nature tourism. The tribal arts of the Gond, Bhil, and Mandana traditions are popular among visitors,” said a spokesperson.
The fest was inaugurated by actor Anirban Chakrabarti, famous for playing the sleuth Eken.
