Niche tourism in West Bengal: Applying the long tail market approach

The state of West Bengal in eastern India is in search of alternate economic development
avenues. Tourism can serve this purpose. The state is rich not only in major tourist attractions,
but also a myriad of small tourist products with definite but limited appeal. It is possible to
develop these small tourist products into niche tourist markets. The internet plays a very
important role in marketing these products. It helps to reach out to tourists who are separated
by space and who are looking for very definite experiences. This is the long tail marketing
approach to tourism. According to this approach, most of the revenue in the industry is
generated by mass tourists. But there are a few tourists who are actually looking for something
unique and different from the mass market. The internet has made it possible for these tourists
to come to know about the small niche destinations. The operators of such niche tourism face
no competition from the major players in the market. They can build up a respectable market
at minimal cost. Niche tourists are not looking for any artificial excitement, but they are
looking for real cultural experiences. The community must be open minded and friendly in
order to help in the growth of the niche tourism industry.