Inviting tourists to the state using posters displaying a snowcapped Kanchenjunga or beach of Digha is passe’.

After a 19-month gap marking a lull in visiting the state’s natural beauties and historical landmarks, the state tourism department is arming itself digitally to showcase the state’s tourist spots. The clay horses of Bankura, Hazarduari palace of Murshidabad, the temple of Dakshineshwar and Katra mosque to name a few will come alive in blogs, text, animation and video. Their outreach will be far wider than ever before thanks to release in Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Twitter stoking the travel bug of those seeking to sightsee in comfort as well as backpackers from home and abroad.

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The quantum leap forward is sought to be accomplished by the appointment of an agency to beef up the functioning of the state tourism department, sources stated. The decision comes in the wake of the lifting of a ban on international tourist visas by the Union government. Eight write-ups will come out in websites about as many tourist spots in the state, an official of the state tourism department said.

The agency will state the subject of these stories. Four blogs will come out on a monthly basis. Advertisements will also follow the campaign to draw more tourists.

It is an open secret that be it under the 34-year long Left Front regime or the ongoing Trinamul Congress dispensation, tourism potential in the state has so far remained untapped. Be it the lush Dooars or riverine Sundarbans, the red-earth Santiniketan or the river rafting potential of North Bengal rivers, the scope and variety of the tourist spots of the state have remained unexplored.

The contention of tourism not getting the governmental attention it deserves is underscored by the higher volume of tourist traffic of several other states. Neighbouring Odisha or Sikkim apart, the flow of international and domestic tourists is far higher in Kerala, Gujarat and not to speak of Rajasthan speak for themselves.

Such a high volume of tourist traffic is no overnight phenomenon but the result of a sustained drive by respective state governments on reality and digital mode. Time for tourism department honchos to blow their pipes beckoning the travellers to the wondrous tourist spots of the state.