Tourism organisations across north Bengal have begun gearing up for the celebrations of World Tourism Day on 27 September, bringing together stakeholders from the state and central tourism departments, local associations, and community groups.
The preparations reflect a shared vision to showcase how tourism can move beyond being just an economic activity to becoming a transformative force that benefits society, culture, and the environment alike. This year’s World Tourism Day 2025 theme, “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation,” announced by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), underlines the power of tourism to drive positive change and its potential to inspire long-term sustainability. The focus is on more than just growth — it stresses the need for good governance, strategic planning, robust monitoring, and clear priority setting to ensure tourism strengthens local communities, delivers education and employment, and preserves heritage and nature for future generations.
In this backdrop, the Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network (HHTDN) has begun its preparations for the World Tourism Day celebrations with a range of activities aimed at promoting eco-friendly and inclusive tourism in the Bengal Himalayas. Complementing these efforts, the Association for Conservation and Tourism (ACT) has launched the 26th Kanchenjunga Tourism Festival in Siliguri, a three-day event that began on Thursday and will continue through 27 September.
The festival combines village outreach programmes with cultural highlights such as Baul performances from Shantiniketan and the Agomoni Competition at City Centre welcoming Durga Puja, emphasising tourism’s role in driving social, cultural, and economic change with inclusiveness. Bhutan, the world’s only carbon-negative country, has joined as a partner nation for the festival, bringing cross-border collaboration to the forefront, while representatives from Nepal are also participating to strengthen regional ties.
Raj Basu, founder of ACT, said the Kanchenjunga Tourism Festival gives sustainability “a voice through inclusive dialogue, blending indigenous wisdom with contemporary perspectives.” ACT ambassador and former footballer Bhaichung Bhutia added that the festival grows every year, incorporating new elements such as fashion shows and band competitions while remaining rooted in tradition, and Bhutan’s participation highlights the theme of mindful cities and sustainable development.
Samrat Sanyal, general secretary of HHTDN, stressed the importance of raising awareness about the impact of sustainable tourism on society and the environment while highlighting both the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of West Bengal. According to him, the Himalayas can and should become a model for sustainable, inclusive, and eco-friendly tourism.
HHTDN will organise a World Tourism Day rally, in association with the department of tourism, supported by the ministry of tourism. It will also host the 7th Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Awards to honour excellence in the sector. During the celebrations, the organisation plans to pledge and submit proposals to establish the Bengal Himalayas as a global benchmark for eco-friendly, community-driven tourism. Its vision focuses on green certification, plastic-free zones, renewable energy, waste management, and community-led initiatives such as homestays, crafts, agri-tourism, skill training, and women and youth-led enterprises.
The initiative also promotes cultural and spiritual trails, eco-trekking, rafting, yoga, Ayurveda, and wellness retreats, alongside sustainable infrastructure such as electric vehicle transport, cycling routes, and public-private partnerships to build capacity.
To implement this vision, HHTDN has drawn up a phased roadmap. In the short term, it will focus on pilot projects and awareness campaigns. In the medium term, it plans to expand eco-tourism circuits and introduce clean transport systems, and in the long term, it aims to position the Himalayas as a global model of sustainable tourism. Flagship projects include the eco-Himalaya Programme for hotel and homestay certification, heritage circuits covering tea heritage, monasteries, and festivals, community tourism models with homestays and craft villages, and “Leave No Trace” awareness drives for youth and schools. Together, these initiatives are intended to ensure that tourism in the Bengal Himalayas becomes not just a source of income but a cornerstone of sustainable transformation, cultural pride, and regional cooperation.