Uttar Pradesh Tourism department has claimed that over 14 crore tourists visited various destinations in the state in the first half of the current year 2023.
“This is almost 1.1 crore more than the number recorded in the previous year for the same period. This is an outcome of the steps taken by the state government for boosting the tourism sector,” the official spokesman said.
Officials said that the tourism sector had massive potential for income generation and job creation, especially with the Ram mandir in Ayodhya likely to open in the beginning of 2024. The officials also revealed that in 2022, nearly 31.86 crore tourists came to UP – a 190 per cent increase over the previous year.
“The UP government is poised to open the doors of employment opportunities through domestic tourism. Last year witnessed an astounding 190 per cent surge in the number of tourists and the current year’s pace is even more remarkable. In January, once the Ram temple’s sanctum sanctorum is unveiled, we will witness a surge of pilgrims from across India. The tourism sector has huge potential for employment, and, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, will act as a catalyst for economic growth and job creation,” the official said.
Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said, “The growth in the number of tourists in UP is a promising sign. The continuous development of religious, historical and cultural sites is expected to further boost tourism. Simultaneously, employment opportunities will also expand. Our goal is to establish UP on the global map in the tourism sector.”