The recently released tourism promotional video for West Bengal has faced scathing criticism for highlighting iconic monuments from around the world, such as the Eiffel Tower in France, Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Russia, the Egyptian pyramids, and Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer, but barely mentioning anything about the state.
The production was instantly ridiculed by social media users and politicians, irrespective of party affiliations, over creative choices and the wrong choice of agency. Political criticism : TMC MP Derek O’Brien harshly criticised the promo video on social media,, and TMC leader and former governor Tathagata Roy called the video amateur and asked for immediate withdrawal of the video. Infrastructure needs : The state government has admitted its need for infrastructure improvement for not allowing tourists to travel through northern hill stations directly to the neighbouring state of Sikkim.
The blunder has led to a firestorm of public criticism, with politicians and opposition figures questioning how a promotional video for a state could exclude all references to the culture and geography of the state.
