Published on October 9, 2025
Kolkata’s Durga Puja celebrations person witnessed a important emergence successful overseas tourer arrivals this year, pinch countries for illustration Canada, Portugal, Spain, France, and much contributing to a singular 20 percent increase. This surge is simply a reflection of nan increasing world nickname of nan festival, peculiarly aft its inclusion successful UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Tourists from these countries are drawn to nan city’s vibrant taste festivities, nan intricate artistry of pandals, and nan unsocial organization tone that defines nan celebration. As Kolkata continues to heighten its tourism infrastructure and showcase its rich | traditions, world visitors are eager to acquisition nan grandeur of Durga Puja firsthand, making it 1 of nan astir sought-after taste festivals successful nan world.
Kolkata is experiencing a singular uptick successful overseas tourism this Durga Puja, pinch arrivals up by astir 20% compared to past year. This summation is simply a testament to nan festival’s increasing world appeal, peculiarly since its nickname by UNESCO arsenic an Intangible Cultural Heritage 4 years ago. Tourists from crossed nan world, including nan US, Europe, Australia, and nan UAE, are making their measurement to nan metropolis to immerse themselves successful this iconic taste celebration.
The Durga Puja festivities, known for their vibrant processions, expansive pandals (temporary structures), and intricate idol artwork, person go a awesome tie for world visitors. Tour operators and recreation agencies successful nan metropolis study a increasing inclination of overseas visitors either visiting for nan first clip aliases returning twelvemonth aft twelvemonth to acquisition nan spectacle.
Many world visitors are captivated by nan characteristic of nan festival, pinch its blend of art, tradition, and organization spirit. A number of visitors are walking to Kolkata specifically for nan puja, pinch respective choosing to harvester it pinch different location experiences, specified arsenic trips to Sikkim aliases Darjeeling, earlier returning to nan metropolis for nan expansive celebrations.
One notable group of overseas visitors visiting Kolkata this twelvemonth hails from countries for illustration Spain, Portugal, France, and Canada. These visitors see some first-timers and regular attendees, immoderate of whom person been coming to nan metropolis each autumn to witnesser Durga Puja. For many, Kolkata’s Durga Puja has go an yearly tradition, an arena they eagerly expect for nan art, nan culture, and nan sheer vibrancy it brings to nan streets of nan city.
Among nan seasoned visitors are individuals who person visited nan metropolis respective times before. Some person travel arsenic galore arsenic 5 times to acquisition nan taste magic of Durga Puja. Despite nan dense rainfall connected September 22, these visitors were wished to make nan astir of their travel and afloat immerse themselves successful nan festivities, showing conscionable really powerful nan allure of nan show has become.
A French writer and photographer, visiting Kolkata for nan first time, was amazed by nan standard and beauty of nan pandal art. He described nan acquisition arsenic “incredible” and dissimilar immoderate different world festival, further solidifying Kolkata’s position arsenic a taste destination for those seeking thing beyond nan emblematic tourer experience. His group visited aggregate pandals complete respective evenings, pinch their admiration for nan artistry increasing pinch each stop.
Impression Tourism Services, a section circuit operator, has been bringing overseas visitors to Kolkata specifically for Durga Puja, pinch galore coming from Spain, Australia, and Germany. The agency has crafted typical itineraries for these travelers, showcasing not only nan pandals but besides nan city’s rich | taste history and section traditions. The emergence successful overseas tourer arrivals is evident, pinch nan agency reporting a 20% summation this twelvemonth complete past year’s numbers. It is clear that nan world liking successful Durga Puja continues to grow, and Kolkata is emerging arsenic a must-see destination for taste visitors from astir nan world.
While earlier projections suggested a 40% summation successful overseas visitors, immoderate challenges person emerged owed to nan weather. A fewer tourists, deterred by nan downpours, chose to cancel aliases postpone their recreation plans to Kolkata. Nonetheless, circuit operators are actively moving to reassure these visitors and promote them to travel later successful nan season. Despite nan setbacks, manufacture insiders stay optimistic astir nan semipermanent maturation of overseas tourism during nan festival.
This summation successful overseas arrivals is portion of a larger inclination of rising world tourism to West Bengal. In 2022-23, nan authorities welcomed 27 lakh world visitors, a number that accrued to 32 lakh successful nan consequent year. The maturation has been mostly driven by investments successful tourism infrastructure, making nan region much accessible and charismatic to travelers from astir nan world.
In summation to visitors from accepted markets for illustration Europe and nan US, location has been a notable emergence successful arrivals from nan UAE. Tourists from Dubai, successful particular, are flocking to Kolkata to return successful nan sights and sounds of Durga Puja. Local recreation agencies person confirmed that groups of visitors from Dubai are touring Kolkata’s pandals and exploring nan city’s taste heritage, including visits to museums, creation exhibitions, and historical sites.
Kolkata’s Durga Puja has seen a 20 percent emergence successful overseas tourer arrivals this year, pinch visitors from Canada, Portugal, Spain, France, and much drawn by nan festival’s increasing world nickname and taste allure.
Durga Puja is much than conscionable a belief observance successful Kolkata—it is simply a ceremony of life, art, and community. As nan festival’s world nickname grows, truthful does its entreaty arsenic a taste tourism destination. This year’s surge successful overseas visitors highlights Kolkata’s expanding domiciled connected nan world tourism map, offering an unparalleled taste acquisition that attracts travelers from each corners of nan globe.