A three-day tourism carnival spanning the foothills and the hills will start from January 30 to promote the sub-Himalayan region of Bengal as a unified destination for tourists.

Named the Bengal Himalayan Carnival 2026, the sixth edition of the event, from January 30 to February 1, will showcase the region’s rich natural assets, offbeat locations, adventure tourism, culinary heritage, intangible cultural heritage and sustainable models of rural tourism.

The Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network (HHTDN), an apex body of tourism stakeholders in the region, is hosting the carnival in association with the Bengal tourism department, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), and the Nepal Tourism Board.

“For the first time, the Nepal Tourism Board will join the event as an international partner, which we believe is an important step toward cross-border Himalayan tourism collaboration,” said Subhasis Chakraborty, the president of HHTDN.

During these three days, the carnival would be held in Chalsa (Jalpaiguri), Loleygaon (Kalimpong), and Sittong (Darjeeling), Chakraborty added.

The carnival, organisers said, would focus on rural tourism, showcase cultural performance, local cuisine, and community tourism models.

“Tourism stakeholders from India and Nepal will congregate at the event, with strong involvement of local homestay owners and tourism associations,” said Samrat Sanyal, the general secretary, HHTDN.

“Another major highlight of the carnival is the rural tourism business meet, a B2B platform that will bring together tour operators, travel companies, homestay owners, hospitality stakeholders, adventure tourism operators, destination marketers, tourism entrepreneurs and even birdwatchers,” Sanyal said.

The carnival will feature a diverse range of adventure and eco-tourism experiences designed to highlight the region’s natural richness and promote sustainable tourism. These include marathon and mountain biking, bird watching trails, canopy walks, forest treks, camping, and a traditional archery experience, said a member of HHTDN.

“The aim is to create market linkages for rural and offbeat destinations, promote cross-border tourism and facilitate investment and partnership opportunities,” said a source.