Tourism opportunities across Northeast India will take centre stage in Tawang as the hill town hosts the 14th International Tourism Mart (ITM) from October 29 to 31, with participants from 22 countries expected to explore partnerships and regional travel products.
The Union Ministry of Tourism is organising the event in partnership with the Arunachal Pradesh government and other North Eastern states. Organisers expect over 200 tourism stakeholders, including 43 international buyers, domestic buyers, tour operators and service providers from the region.
For Tawang, the event marks a return after more than a decade. The town hosted the mart’s second edition in 2013. Its 13th edition was held in Gangtok, Sikkim, in November 2025.
The opening ceremony on October 29 is scheduled to bring together Union Tourism and Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of State for Tourism and Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi, and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu. The programme includes the launch of the North East Bazaar and performances showcasing the region’s cultural diversity.
Participating states — Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura — will present their tourism offerings, ranging from cultural and heritage attractions to adventure travel and possible multi-state circuits.
Commercial engagement will be a central focus on October 30, when business-to-business meetings will bring buyers into direct contact with tourism businesses from the Northeast. The sessions are designed to help regional operators forge partnerships, package new experiences and access broader domestic and international markets.
The mart will also address policy and emerging business opportunities. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will lead a discussion on developing the region’s concert and live-events economy, while the Ministry of Home Affairs will examine ways to make protected and restricted areas more accessible to tourists. Royal Enfield will contribute a session, Beyond Destinations: Creating Immersive Journeys in North East India, on experience-led tourism.
Regional identity will feature prominently at the North East Bazaar, where visitors can explore traditional crafts, textiles, artwork and other locally made products. Food offerings and cultural programmes will introduce delegates to the culinary traditions of the eight states.
The event’s field visits will take delegates to prominent sites around Tawang, including Tawang Monastery, Jaswant Garh War Memorial, Jang Waterfall, Tawang War Memorial, Urgelling Gompa, Buddha Park, Pankang Teng Tso Lake and Shernup Village. The itinerary is intended to demonstrate the area’s religious significance, landscapes and scope for rural tourism.
International participants will have further opportunities to explore the region through familiarisation tours beginning in Guwahati on November 1.
Tourism ministers from the North Eastern states are also due to meet on October 30, with Shekhawat chairing the regional meeting to discuss development priorities and cooperation in the tourism sector.
