‘Tourism in UP poised for giant leap in a decade’

Principal secretary tourism, Navneet Sehgal inaugurated Uttar Pradesh Travel Mart 2016 on Sunday evening. The inaugural function was held at Taj viewpoint situated between the protected monuments of Mehtab Bagh and Gyarra Siddi on other side of Yamuna with the Taj in backdrop. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav was expected to inaugurate the Mart but he could not make it.

Addressing the gathering, Sehgal said that the state government was taking necessary steps to promote tourism in UP. He mentioned about implementation of Tourism Policy 2016, which aimed at creating job opportunities while promoting tourism. According to him, the new tourism policy would focus on creating tourist packages, as ‘it is the need of the hour due to changing pattern of tourism scenario.’

“Uttar Pradesh holds its own attraction amongst visitors and is second amongst states attracting tourists in the country. This year 29.09 lakh foreign tourists visited UP,” Sehgal revealed while highlighting the Agra, Lucknow Varanasi Tourism arc for drawing more tourists.

‘The state is rich in religious tourism including the Buddhist arc, Kashi, Sangam, Mathura Vrindavan, Allahabad Vidhyanchal, Ayodhya besides the Sufi circuit,’ he stated while counting major tourist attractions and highlighting other venues providing opportunity for wildlife tourism.

According to Sehgal, the number of tourists visiting Uttar Pradesh is to increase to 6,000 lakh by 2027 including weekend travellers, event-based travellers, rural tourists, eco and wildlife tourists.

“The state government has introduced destination management projects to maintain attractions for tourists and these include a lion safari at Etawah, Mughal Museum and Theme Park at Agra, Center for Living traditions at Varanasi, Bateshwar Convention Project amongst others,” he said.

More than 50 buyers from foreign nations have gathered at Agra to attend the Travel Mart and would be taken to destinations of their choice on February 24. The three-day Travel Mart would also include a discussion programme amongst tour operators.