Lucknow, 22 February (HS): Presenting the budget, Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said there is immense potential for tourism in UP. Tourism activities are increasing progressively in the state. The state government has increased the infrastructure for tourism development. Increase in the revenue of tourism growth is indirectly creating employment.

He said that more than 24.87 crore tourists came to Uttar Pradesh in the year 2022, in which the number of Indian tourists was 24.83 crore and the number of foreign tourists was more than 4.1 lakh.

Under the Spiritual Circuit scheme, tourism development of Gorakhpur-Devipatan, Dumariyaganj, integrated tourism development of Jewar, Dadri, Secunderabad, Noida-Khurja Banda, under the Spiritual Circuit scheme, approved schemes for tourism development of Govardhan located in Mathura district are being implemented.

Tourism development and beautification works are being done in Ayodhya, Varanasi, Chitrakoot, Vindhyachal, Prayagraj, Naimisharanya, Gorakhpur, Mathura, Bateshwar Dham and other important tourist places.

He informed that under the Chief Minister's Tourism Promotion Scheme, development of tourist places located in the state is being done with an amount of ₹300 crore.

The Finance Minister said that a provision of ₹50 crore is proposed in the current financial year for the integrated tourism development of Shakti Peeth Maa Shakumbhari Devi Temple.

For the integrated development of Prayagraj, a provision of ₹40 crore is proposed in the current financial year, while a provision of ₹45 crore for the promotion of tourism units under the Tourism Policy 2018, ₹40 crore for the integrated tourism development of Buddhist circuit

A provision of ₹40 crore has been made for the integrated tourism development of Bundelkhand, ₹10 crore for the integrated tourism development of Shuktirth Dham and a provision of ₹2 crore to promote youth tourism in the state.

A provision of ₹2.50 crore has been made for the establishment of Uttar Pradesh Eco Tourism, Lucknow Board, while ₹5 crore is proposed for international/national level mega event and an arrangement of ₹2.5 crore is proposed for Shri Naimisharanya Dham Teerth Vikas Parishad.

Hindusthan Samachar/Anil Kr Pandey