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Record 43 foreign buyers from 22 countries at North East tourism mart in Tawang

Domestic tourist visits to the eight north-eastern states rose 58% between 2019 and 2025, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said.

By BDT News Desk

Published 30 Oct 2026, 7:11 AM IST · 1 min read

14th International Tourism Mart Inaugurated in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh
14th International Tourism Mart Inaugurated in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh Photo: PIB

The 14th International Tourism Mart opened in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, on 29 October with 43 international buyers from 22 countries, which the Ministry of Tourism says is the highest foreign participation in the Mart's history.

The three-day event, running until 31 October, showcases the eight north-eastern states to travel businesses. It also has 42 domestic buyers from 16 states and union territories, and 81 sellers.

Tourism numbers

Union Tourism and Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said domestic tourist visits to the north-eastern states rose from 95.65 lakh in 2019 to 1.51 crore in 2025, an increase of about 58%.

He listed central projects sanctioned for the region:

  • Swadesh Darshan 1.0: 16 projects worth ₹1,309 crore
  • Swadesh Darshan 2.0: 17 projects worth ₹564 crore
  • Challenge Based Destination Development: nine projects worth ₹139 crore
  • SASCI: nine projects worth ₹790 crore
  • PRASHAD: nine projects worth ₹258 crore

The ministry has also supported ten air routes in the region under the UDAN regional connectivity scheme.

What the minister said

"ITM is not merely a tourism marketplace; it is a platform for building partnerships, generating business opportunities and creating a shared vision for the growth of tourism in the North East Region," Shekhawat said. He pointed to adventure tourism and music festivals as ways to attract new visitors, with safety standards and environmental safeguards.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang and ministers Suresh Gopi and Sukanta Majumdar also spoke. A North East Bazaar of handicrafts and handlooms was opened alongside the Mart.

Photos

Photo: PIB

Photo: PIB

Source: official release by the Ministry of Tourism, issued through the Press Information Bureau, Government of India (29 OCT 2026 9:22PM by PIB Delhi). Read the full official text: 14th International Tourism Mart Inaugurated in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh.

How we verified this

Verified

Every fact, figure and quotation is taken from the official PIB release (Release ID 2330273) issued by the Ministry of Tourism on 29 OCT 2026 9:22PM by PIB Delhi; checked against the source on publication. Story written by BDT from that release; no outside facts added.

Fact-checked by Hemant Sharma on 30 Oct 2026, 7:11 AM IST.

Sources

  1. 1.14th International Tourism Mart Inaugurated in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh — Press Information Bureau, Government of India

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