The 13th edition of the International Tourism Mart (ITM) for the North Eastern Region commenced on November 14, 2025, at the SAP Grounds, Pangthang, Gangtok. Jointly organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, and the Government of Sikkim, the event was inaugurated in the presence of the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, the Minister of Tourism, Government of Sikkim, and senior representatives from all the North Eastern States and Central Ministries.
Being held from November 13-16, 2025, ITM is the Ministry of Tourism’s annual platform to showcase and strengthen the tourism potential of India’s North Eastern Region. This year’s edition brings together government officials, industry stakeholders, and buyers for two days of B2B meetings, presentations, the North East Bazaar, and technical visits to key cultural sites. The Mart aims to promote the eight states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim as a unified tourism circuit, highlighting their strengths in eco-tourism, adventure, wellness, spiritual, cultural, rural, homestay, and wildlife tourism. ITM 2025 also places special emphasis on responsible tourism under the ‘Travel for Life’ initiative, with a focus on sustainability, energy efficiency, zero food waste, and minimising single-use plastics.
The Mart began with a press meet attended by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Sikkim Tourism Minister Tshering Thendup Bhutia, Arunachal Pradesh Tourism Minister P D Sona, Assam Tourism Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Sikkim MP Indra Hang Subba, and Tourism Secretary V Vidyavathi.
In his address, Chief Minister Pema Khandu noted that Sikkim was hosting the Mart for the second time and emphasised the region’s rich cultural diversity. He said the NE States needed a common platform to project their collective strengths, and that ITM had successfully created opportunities for the States to promote their offerings to wider domestic and international audiences. He added that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the region was playing a more prominent role in the national tourism landscape.
Tourism Minister Tshering Thendup Bhutia underlined Sikkim’s commitment to sustainable tourism, community participation, and cultural preservation. He said the Mart strengthened the State’s engagement with the wider North East tourism network and provided a space for knowledge exchange on tourism management, outreach, and conservation-linked growth.
The day also featured a meeting between the Ministry of Tourism and State Tourism Departments to improve coordination across the region. Senior officials, including Additional Secretary and Director General of Tourism Suman Billa, reviewed ongoing initiatives and State-specific priorities.
Session 1 focused on film tourism under the theme “Cinematic North East,” with a presentation by Indian Cine Hub and insights from Madhya Pradesh Tourism on film tourism incentives. Airbnb led Session 2 on homestay tourism and community-based income opportunities. Session 3 addressed Restricted and Protected Area Permit (RAP/PAP) concerns with officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, followed by an open house where States shared best practices and suggestions.
Sikkim officials, including Principal Secretary C S Rao and Principal Chief Engineer-cum-Secretary Neeraj Pradhan, highlighted ways to streamline visitor procedures, improve access, and ensure safe, sustainable tourism growth across the North East.
 for the North Eastern Region commenced on November 14, 2025, at the SAP Grounds, Pangthang, Gangtok. Jointly organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, and the Government of Sikkim, the event was inaugurated in the presence of the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, the Minister of Tourism, Government of Sikkim, and senior representatives from all the North Eastern States and Central Ministries.){kind=link}