Quick Take | Incredible Indian heritage
Among the many things confrontational geopolitics marred in 2025 was tourism. Last month, the government admitted that foreign tourist arrivals had dipped by an eighth during April-September 2025, weakened mainly by the worsening relations with Bangladesh in the region and other tensions around the world. This comes at a time foreign arrivals are still struggling to match the pre-pandemic levels despite a recent surge. Amid this gloom, West Bengal—which emerged as the second-most preferred destination after Maharashtra—showed what can be possible if India’s rich intangible heritage is promoted. Festivals like the Durga puja can be an even bigger draw if we position them attractively with another major drive like the early 2000s’ Incredible India.