Tawang Tourism Mart: Why India’s choice of Arunachal venue after 13 years matters amid China’s territorial claim

The Union government is holding its annual International Tourism Mart in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, from 27 October to 1 November. Delegates from around 20 countries, including China, are expected to participate.

The 14th edition of the flagship tourism promotion event is being jointly organised by the Union Ministry of Tourism and the Department of Tourism, Government of Arunachal Pradesh.

The event brings together tourism businesses, government representatives, tour operators, investors, media and other stakeholders to showcase the tourism potential of the North-Eastern region.

The 2025 edition was held in Gangtok, Sikkim, from 13 to 16 November and was attended by government representatives and industry stakeholders from more than 19 countries.

Why Tawang matters?

This year's event marks the return of the International Tourism Mart to Tawang after more than a decade. The district last hosted the event in 2013.

While the tourism mart is a routine annual event, its choice of venue is significant. Tawang lies in the eastern sector of the India-China boundary and has long been at the centre of Beijing's territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh.

China refers to Arunachal Pradesh as Zangnan, or South Tibet, and claims the territory as part of China. India rejects the claim and maintains that Arunachal Pradesh is an “inalienable and integral part of India”.

Occasionally, tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) flare up, too. One such notable instance was in 2022 when a physical clash between Indian and Chinese troops was reported in an area called Yangtse, in the upper reaches of Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh.

Tawang is known for its 400-year-old monastery, Buddhist heritage, association with the 6th Dalai Lama, Himalayan landscape, high-altitude passes, and Monpa culture.

China has repeatedly released standard Mandarin names for locations inside Arunachal Pradesh, drawing sharp diplomatic rebuttals from India.

The tourism event in Tawang also comes weeks after the government identified 27 places and geographical features in Arunachal Pradesh using standard names on the official maps of the Survey of India, saying the move was aimed at their “accurate recognition and better awareness among the public at large”.

China and the tourism mart

The participation of Chinese delegates at the Tawang event could draw attention, given the longstanding territorial dispute between India and China. Government representatives from China have not attended the tourism mart in India in recent years, although Chinese private tour operators have participated in previous editions.

At the 2018 edition of the International Tourism Mart in Agartala, more than 60 tour operator delegates from different countries participated, including representatives from China.

For this year's edition, invitations have been sent to around 20 participating countries and industry delegations, with official confirmations still pending, according to a report in Indian Express.

Officials said in an Arunachal Pradesh Government press statement that the Tawang event would provide a platform to showcase the district's Himalayan landscape, Buddhist heritage, Monpa culture, adventure tourism and eco-tourism attractions to domestic and international stakeholders.

A tourism push for the North-East

The Ministry of Tourism has been organising international tourism events in the since 2013. The annual mart aims to promote the region as a tourism destination for both domestic and international visitors.

While the tourism mart is a routine annual event, its choice of venue is significant.

It brings together tourism businesses and entrepreneurs from the eight North-Eastern states - Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim—for interactions among buyers, sellers, media, government agencies and other stakeholders.

The Tawang edition is expected to attract government officials, tour operators, investors, travel trade representatives and media personnel from India and abroad, with the government seeking to promote tourism, investment and sustainable economic development in the region.