The Hindu Business Line : 7 countries taking part in tourism fair

OVER 200 participants from 22 States and seven countries are participating in the 37th Travel & Tourism Fair (TTF) which was inaugurated here on Thursday by the West Bengal Tourism Minister, Mr Dinesh Dakua.

Representatives of the tourism departments of Meghalaya and Sikkim were also present at the inaugural function and they pitched for eco-tourism and adventure tourism in their States.

In his inaugural address, Mr Dakua said that people from West Bengal comprised a large chunk of the domestic tourists in the country. Efforts would be made to develop prominent but lesser-visited tourist sites within the State so that not only are people from outside the State are attracted to these sites but people living in West Bengal were also encouraged to visit these places.

Among the States participating in the TTF, Rajasthan and Uttaranchal are "partner States" while Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim are participating as "feature States". International presence in the TTF has been boosted by the participation of Norway and Indonesia, for the first time. Other foreign countries participating in the fair include Nepal, Bhutan, Malaysia and Bangladesh.

The TTF provides participating States and tour operators to showcase their offerings to tourists who, in turn, can make their travel plans for domestic and international destinations. They can also avail of on-the-spot booking facilities. TTF also provides stakeholders in the travel industry in the region to forge alliances and do business with their domestic and international counterparts.