New Delhi, Sept. 5 -- What comes to mind when you think of West Bengal as a tourist destination? The iconic Howrah Bridge, the majestic Victoria Memorial, the first rays of the sun lighting up Mount Kanchenjunga in Darjeeling, the sprawling mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, or perhaps the beaches of Digha and Mandarmani along the Bay of Bengal. These are the sights that define Bengal and its rich tourism appeal.
Yet, the recent Bengal tourism promotional video launched alongside the state's new logo appears to have managed an extraordinary feat - showcasing almost everything except Bengal itself.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari unveiled the new logo for Bengal tourism, along with the tagline, "West Bengal - Where India feels different." He announced that his government has allocated Rs 500 crore in the current fiscal for the development of tourism in the state.
The new video begins with the familiar sight of Howrah Bridge, but soon takes viewers on a whirlwind tour of international landmarks, from the Pyramids of Egypt and the Eiffel Tower in Paris to St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow and Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. The result? A deluge of criticism on social media, with netizens asking: Where is Bengal in the Bengal tourism advertisement?
Former Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy described the effort as "very stupid and amateurish" and called for it to be taken down immediately. "Why should scenes from Moscow, Egypt and Rio de Janeiro feature in a video on West Bengal? And 'how India feels different'! Is it trying to showcase West Bengal or the whole of India? This video does a disservice to the achievements of the BJP government of West Bengal," Roy posted on social media.
TMC MP Derek O'Brien also took to social media and wrote, "TRASH is a mild word for this communication." TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh also questioned why Bengal's own destinations were not used in a video meant to promote tourism in the state. He urged the government to review and change the promotional film.
From travel bloggers to netizens, all questioned how a tourism campaign for Bengal could feature so little of Bengal itself. "Where is West Bengal in this? What kind of tourism logo reveal is this?? It is more like promoting international tourism rather than promoting Bengal! Everywhere but Bengal. Ridiculous," one user posted.
Many argued that an AI-generated video could have done a better job of showcasing Bengal. The new logo, meanwhile, was compared by some users to WordArt from Microsoft Word 2007. There were also calls for the government to throw open the process to the public. "A simple contest open for all to design it would have given you thousands of amazing logo designs," a user commented.
There were comparisons, too, with the previous Bengal tourism campaign under Mamata Banerjee. Her tourism branding, built around the tagline "Experience Bengal - The Sweetest Part of India," was recalled by many users.
The promotional video also earned the ire of netizens as there is no mention or visual of Durga Puja, the first Indian festival on UNESCO's Intangible Heritage List. This video comes at a time when Durga Puja is just a month away.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.