Tawang hosts the 14th International Tourism Mart to pitch the Northeast to buyers
The three-day event, the first in Tawang for 13 years, expects 43 international buyers from 22 countries and travel sellers from all eight northeastern states.
The Global Sun Desk ·
The 14th International Tourism Mart is being held in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, from 29 to 31 October. The Union tourism ministry organises the annual event with the Arunachal government and other northeastern states to promote the region's tourism to domestic and overseas travel buyers.
More than 200 participants, including buyers and sellers from India and abroad, are expected, PTI reported, citing a statement from the state tourism department. They include 43 buyers from overseas, drawn from 22 countries that include Australia, Bhutan, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and the United States.
The mart is returning to Tawang after 13 years. The town staged the second edition in 2013, and the previous mart took place in Gangtok in November 2025, the Deccan Chronicle noted.
What is on the programme
The opening ceremony on Thursday, 29 October, was due to be attended by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who is Union minister for tourism and culture, Suresh Gopi, the minister of state for tourism, and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu. It includes the opening of the North East Bazaar, which will show traditional arts, handicrafts, textiles and regional food, along with cultural performances.
On 30 October, buyers will meet tourism operators from the Northeast in business-to-business sessions. Each of the eight northeastern states will present its destinations and the combined travel circuits it is offering. Shekhawat will also chair a regional meeting of the northeastern tourism ministers that day.
Among the issues for the technical sessions are live events and concerts, where the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting takes the lead, and tourist access to protected and restricted areas, where the Ministry of Home Affairs does. Royal Enfield will also give a presentation titled "Beyond Destinations: Creating Immersive Journeys in North East India", on tourism built around experiences rather than sights.
Seeing Tawang
Delegates will visit Pankang Teng Tso Lake, Urgelling Gompa, Jang Waterfall, the Jaswant Garh War Memorial and Tawang Monastery, Swarajya reported. Familiarisation tours for foreign delegates are set to start from Guwahati on 1 November.
The aim
The mart is a flagship annual initiative of the tourism ministry, meant to promote the Northeast as a destination in domestic and international markets, the Deccan Chronicle said. According to PTI, it is a platform where tour operators, entrepreneurs, tourism firms, government bodies and the media can explore partnerships and deepen their links with the region's tourism sector. Buyers from within India, along with tourism service providers and sellers based in the eight northeastern states, are also taking part, which the state tourism department said would help businesses meet and form partnerships.