Sourav Ganguly: Tripura Tourism Ambassador

Former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly is poised to become the brand ambassador for Tripura Tourism, with a formal agreement signed on December 11. The ex-BCCI president will be visiting Tripura to finalize the association and will also engage in shooting promotional videos at prominent landmarks in the state on December 12.

Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury revealed that Ganguly's arrival is anticipated around 6 pm on Monday (December 11). The agreement ceremony is set to take place at Ujjayanta Palace after his arrival from Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport.

During his visit, Ganguly is expected to meet Chief Minister Manik Saha at his official residence and participate in the filming of promotional videos at key locations, including Chhabimura, a rock sculpture on the Gomti River's banks, and the iconic Ujjayanta Palace, representing the Manikya dynasty. The former cricket captain will conclude his visit after these engagements on Tuesday.

Minister Chowdhury emphasized that Ganguly's appointment as Tripura tourism brand ambassador is anticipated to have a positive impact on the state's pursuit of sustainable development through tourism. Ganguly had previously expressed his verbal agreement to assume this role.

To bolster tourism infrastructure, the state government plans to invest INR 350 crore in developing destinations like Neer Mahal, Unakoti archaeological site, Chhabimura, Dumber Lake, and Tripureswari Temple. These efforts are part of various schemes under the Ministry of Tourism and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

As part of the Swadesh Darshan initiative, the Ministry of Tourism has allocated INR 70 crore each for the development of tourism circuits in Agartala and Unakoti. Additionally, the ADB has sanctioned INR 58 crore for the tourism development project in Chhabimura.