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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday highlighted the state's status as the tourism heartland of the country with immense potential and said that last year, the state welcomed 48 crore tourists, nearly double its population, with most visitors drawn to spiritual tourism.
"In 2023, Kashi alone saw over 10 crore tourists. Following the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya after 500 years, tourist numbers have increased manifold, with an average of 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh tourists to Ayodhya daily," he said. Addressing the 'Eco-Tourism Samvad' in the Mercury Hall of Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, the Chief Minister said, "UP has several sites that attract tourists like Naimisharanya near Lucknow, Chitrakoot, Shukteerth, Vindhyavasini Dham, Maa Pateshwari Dham, Maa Shakambhari Dham in Saharanpur, and Buddhist pilgrimage sites such as Kapilvastu, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Shravasti, and Sankisa. Additionally, there are numerous possibilities for spiritual tourism linked to Jain and Sufi traditions." The most significant evidence of this is seen in the fossils park in Sonbhadra, which dates back as far as the origin of living beings, with fossils around 1.5 crore years old, Yogi pointed out. There are many such sites, natural lakes, and ponds. Uttar Pradesh boasts 15,000 square kilometres of forest area, including forests from mythological times, Yogi further asserted. CM Yogi further added, "The forests in the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh (Bahraich, Lakhimpur Kheri, Shravasti, Balrampur, Pilibhit) are well-preserved, whereas across the border in Nepal, the forests have been depleted. Efforts are underway to further develop tiger reserves in Chuka, Dudhwa, Pilibhit, as well as in Chitrakoot and Amangarh in Bijnor." "In addition to spiritual tourism, there are also possibilities for heritage and eco-tourism. The Uttar Pradesh Eco-Tourism Development Board has been established to bring these opportunities to the attention of the country and the world, to increase public interest, provide entertainment and educational experiences, and offer opportunities to connect with the past and history. Furthermore, it aims to raise awareness about future environmental warnings," Yogi said. The UP CM also informed that a night safari is being developed near Kukrail in Lucknow. He said, "Before that, the Kukrail River will be revived. Once a tributary of the Gomti River, originating from Pilibhit and merging with the Ganges in Varanasi, Kukrail was turned into a drain due to illegal construction. Over the past four decades, encroachments have increased so much that it has become a challenge not only for the river but also for the environment." "We fought the battle to restore Kukrail to a river before the Supreme Court, removing more than 8,000 unauthorised encroachments. Offenders were punished, and many were rehabilitated. While rivers and water sources were drying up during the summer, new sources of water were emerging in Kukrail, he added. The Chief Minister also emphasised the Eco-Tourism Development Board's efforts to conserve the environment, urging people to demonstrate responsible behaviour. He said, "When tourists visit, it creates employment opportunities for many people. In the field of eco-tourism, people have started various initiatives. Tourists are visiting areas such as Sohagi Barwa, Dudhwa, Chuka, and Pilibhit Tiger Reserve. Observing nature, visitors realise that everything here is real, with nothing artificial." (ANI)
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