Fresh tourism policy on anvil for investment, economic growth in UP

Uttar Pradesh is planning a new tourism policy aimed at boosting private investment, creating local jobs, and accelerating economic growth, in line with its goal of becoming a $1 trillion economy.

 

Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh has directed officials to chart a revised roadmap on the lines of peer state Rajasthan. The department will identify key tourism sites and introduce countryside homestays in villages reflecting tribal cultures such as ‘Tharu’.

 

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has called for promoting different forms of tourism such as heritage, rural, religious, and fort tourism.

 

UP topped the national tourism chart in both 2023 and 2024, logging 480 million and 650 million domestic and international visitors, respectively. Major religious destinations like Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mathura, and Prayagraj continue to drive footfall, especially during large-scale events such as the Maha Kumbh 2025, which reinforced the state’s cultural influence among tens of millions of pilgrims. 

 

To attract global tourists, Yogi government is also promoting its rich network of Buddhist sites, particularly in the eastern region, targeting countries such as Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Myanmar. State Finance Minister Suresh Khanna explored bilateral tourism and investment opportunities in a recent state delegation to Japan.

 

The upcoming UP International Trade Show (Upits), to be held from September 25–29 at the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida, will serve as a key platform to showcase the state’s tourism strengths. The department plans to exhibit heritage assets, temple architecture, thematic circuits, PPP projects, local crafts, and One District One Product (ODOP) items. “The integration of technology with immersive visual storytelling at Upits 2025 will strengthen UP’s tourism brand at both national and global levels,” an official said.

 

Meanwhile, the state is exploring ways to revive loss-making tourism properties through public-private partnerships.