Uttar Pradesh, which is striving to leverage its tourism potential to the maximum, is looking to increase accommodation rooms by 80,000 to meeting the growing demand from tourists.
The annual tourist footfall in UP is estimated to hit 850 million by 2028.
The state is targetting investment of over Rs 32,000 crore towards increasing the inventory of accommodation units or rooms by 80,000 in hotels, resorts etc.
The state is looking to create a strong supply of accommodation units with the development of hotels, resorts, homestays, especially in tourism hotspots of Varanasi, Ayodhya, Prayagraj and Agra.
The heritage properties including forts and palaces will be offered to the private companies for development.
Moreover, the state is encouraging homeowners to offer their properties for homestays, while the owners of heritage properties are being invited to convert their precincts into heritage hotels.
The state is also looking to develop multi-experience circuits such as wellness centres, and improving the connectivity of Buddhist destinations viz Sarnath and Kaushambi with popular tourist spots of Varanasi, Prayagraj and Ayodhya.
The state is focussing on diversifying tourism experiences and creating contemporary tourism products by developing adventure tourism, MICE (Meetings, incentives, conferences & exhibitions), wellness, ecotourism etc.
In fact, about 500 tourism and related infra projects have already been launched in Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mathura-Vrindavan, Prayagraj, Kushinagar, Mirzapur etc pertaining to hotels, resorts, guest houses, infra development etc.
The state religious tourism reinvigorated after the consecration of Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. The state government has estimated Ayodhya to generate Rs 55,000 crore annually in tourism revenue alone.