WITH ONE out of six foreign tourists heading to the eastern Indian state, Bihar is being touted as the historical hotspot for visitors from abroad.
“One among every six foreign tourists arriving in the country is accepting the hospitality of Bihar now,” Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said.
According to reports, Bihar is receiving more holidaymakers from abroad than Goa, which is a hotspot for foreigners due to its beaches and nightlife.
State tourism minister Sunil Kumar Pintu said that the number of foreign tourists in Bihar is expected to cross 10 lakh this year.
“There has been a more than ten-fold increase in the number of foreign tourists arriving in the state in the last one decade.”
“More than 8 lakh foreign tourists visited different historical sites of Bihar from January to August this year,” he said.
Bihar has famous Buddhist sites such as Bodh Gaya, Nalanda and Vaishali, among others.
Quoting a survey of the Union tourism ministry, Pintu said Bihar figured seventh among 10 states receiving foreign tourists last year. The states ahead of it were Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and West Bengal.
To draw more tourists to the state, Bihar is taking part in the World Travel Market (WTM) 2012 meet in London from November 5-8. Out of 9 pavilions booked by India, one belongs to Bihar.
Pintu said the state would showcase its rich historical background to foreigners during the event.
