To give wings to the passenger air transport for tourism growth, the Uttar Pradesh government is setting up heliports in major tourist hotspots.
The state is partnering with the private sector heliport and helicopter taxi operators to give a fillip to its ambitious $trillion economy vision.
In the initial phase, helicopter taxis will be launched in Agra and Mathura under the public private partnership (PPP) mode. UP Tourism department has signed an agreement with Rajas Aerosports And Adventures Private Limited to operate heliports for 30 years in these two cities.
According to UP tourism and culture minister Jaiveer Singh, the heliport services would open fresh avenues of tourism sector growth and employment creation.
In fact, the state also plans to introduce ‘balloon safari’ in select places like Lucknow and Agra.
He claimed heliports would spur tourist footfall in Agra, Mathura and Vrindavan region, and boost the state’s revenue. In 2022, over 300 million tourists visited the state, which the minister attributed to an improvement in tourist and transportation facilities.
Later, the heliport infra would be created in other places to pitch UP as a major religious, cultural, natural and historical tourist destination in Asia.
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The Yogi Adityanath government has allocated Rs 1,000 crore for upgrading the tourism infra for a speedier growth of surface, inland water and air transport.