SRK to promote Bengal as 'sweetest' destination

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will promote Bengal as the "sweetest" tourist destination in the country, as the state goes on an overdrive to attract domestic and foreign travellers. "We have roped in superstar Shah Rukh Khan for promoting tourist destinations in West Bengal. He will soon come over to the city for a two-day shoot," state tourism minister Bratya Basu told newspersons here. "New ad-films will be made featuring Shah Rukh for Hindi and English languages," Basu said, adding that a Rs 8-crore budget has been earmarked for showcasing Bengal as an attractive tourist destination. Road shows would be held in seven cities in the country to attract tourists to the state with the new catchline 'Experience Bengal - The Sweetest part of India', Basu said. The minister said that with the Durga Puja coming up in the third week of October, the state tourism department has drawn up several package tours under which people can enjoy the festivities in the metropolis and in other parts of the state. The packages during the festival would be from one of eight hours that would show popular pujas in different parts of the city, thronged by lakhs of visitors everyday, to that of a two-day schedule that would take tourists to different districts, where they can enjoy the festival in a serene and idyllic atmosphere.