&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Watch: ‘Where is Bengal in this?’ West Bengal tourism ad sparks backlash")
West Bengal’s new tourism advertisement has triggered a wave of criticism online after viewers noticed that the video featured several famous global landmarks but showed little of the state itself.
The controversy erupted after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari unveiled a new logo and brand identity for West Bengal Tourism at an event on Friday. The BJP’s West Bengal unit shared a video from the launch on social media.
“Hon'ble Chief Minister Shri Suvendu Adhikari attends the grand unveiling of West Bengal Tourism’s new brand identity, organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal,” the BJP state unit said while posting the video.
Adhikari announced a Rs 500 crore investment push for tourism facilities across West Bengal.
“We have destroyed the tourism infrastructure in our state. Tourists pass through Darjeeling and Kalimpong in our state and travel to Sikkim. We are determined to change this,” the chief minister said at the event.
The advertisement features iconic sites from around the world, including the Eiffel Tower, Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Russia, the pyramids of Egypt and Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.
Viewers, however, quickly questioned the absence of recognisable West Bengal attractions from the promotional film. Apart from a brief appearance by the Howrah Bridge, the advertisement offered little visual representation of the state.
The fleeting appearance of the Howrah Bridge soon became a talking point online, with users asking a simple question: “Where is Bengal?”
Ad sparks criticism from politicians and users
The backlash spread across social media soon after the video appeared online.
TMC MP Derek O'Brien described the advertisement as “Tacky. Trashy. Thooo.”
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Social media user Barnali Bairagi also questioned the concept behind the campaign. “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,” said a social media user, Barnali Bairagi.
Former Tripura and Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy also criticised the video and called it an “amateurish video”.
“Why should scenes from Moscow, Egypt and Rio de Janeiro feature in a video on West Bengal?” Roy posted.
Another user, Joy, compared the campaign with tourism promotions from other Indian states and questioned its tagline.
“All they had to do is just study the communication and visual storytelling of Kerala Tourism. Or even Odisha Tourism. Rajasthan Tourism also, at one point in time, had done great communications. The tagline: Where India feels different is so generic; it can be placed anywhere. It can even be the Tagline of an amusement park. Or a residential project. It doesn’t evoke any emotion. Compare it with Kerala Tourism’s - God’s Own Country.
