Boosting the prospects of outdoor sports, the Uttar Pradesh government today approved the UP Water Tourism and Adventure Sports Policy 2023.
The policy will encompass all inland land-based, air-based and water routes, dams, reservoirs, lakes, rivers, ponds, and all adventure activities on water bodies and land parcels in UP.
Accoding to UP tourism minister Jaiveer Singh, the hills in Vindhya and Bundelkhand regions of UP, spanning 16,620 sq km in the foothills of the Himalayas as well as other landscapes, forests, rivers, waterfalls, dams, reservoirs and lakes have untapped potential for water-based tourism, adventure sports and water sports.
“Keeping this in mind, we have brought this policy, which will be valid for 10 years from the date notified by the state government,” he added.
UP State Tourism Development Corporation will sign a MoU with UP Ex-Servicemen Welfare Corporation to include ex-servicemen in Adventure Sports Unit.
Studies for water-based tourism and adventure sports will be conducted on notified land areas and water sources by the nodal agency and licences will be issued accordingly.
The nodal agency will prepare a detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) within 60 days of the issue of the policy.
Meanwhile, heritage buildings of the state will be developed as heritage tourism units under the public private partnership (PPP) model.
These will be developed as Heritage Hotel, Heritage Museum, Heritage Restaurant, Home Stay, Thematic Park, Mall Activity Center, Wellness Center and other tourism and hospitality.
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Nine heritage buildings have already been identified including Chhatarmal Lucknow (9.88 acres), Chunar Fort Mirzapur (21.64 acres), Barua Sagar Fort Jhansi (7.39 acres), Kothi Gulistan-e-Iram Lucknow (1.35 acres), Kothi Darshan Vilas Lucknow (1.35 acres), Kothi Roshan-ud-Daula Lucknow (1.7 acre), Barsana Jal Mahal Mathura (1 acre), Shukla Talab Kanpur (6.90 acre) and Tikait Rai Bithoor Kanpur (0.217 acre).