“Efforts will be made to increase the number of tourists without disturbing the environment.”- Jaiveer Singh
The Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding MoU on August 14 at Paryatan Bhawan, Gomti Nagar with International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT) to promote responsible tourism in the state. The MoU was signed in the presence of Jaiveer Singh, Minister of Tourism and Culture, Uttar Pradesh; Awanish Kumar Awasthi, Advisor-Chief Minister of UP; Mukesh Kumar Meshram, Principal Secretary, Tourism and Culture; Eesha Priya, Special Secretary, Tourism; Prakhar Mishra, Director Tourism and other dignitaries and officials of the department.
Jaiveer Singh stated, “The UP Tourism Department is committed to the continuous development of tourist destinations and facilities for the convenience of visitors. The MoU will be mutually beneficial for both and working together with ICRT will be a positive experience. Our collective efforts will contribute to increasing tourism in Uttar Pradesh.”
He noted, “After 2017, under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, unprecedented work was done towards the development of tourism. In 2023, the number of tourists in the state increased threefold compared to 2017. Last year, a record 48 crore tourists visited Uttar Pradesh. The unexpected increase in the number of tourists has been possible due to better law and order situation in the state.”
The government is giving special attention to infrastructure development along with religious tourism, eco-tourism, adventure tourism etc. The Tourism and Culture Minister further said that Mahakumbh-2025 is both a challenge and an opportunity for the state to showcase the tourism potential.
He added that this MoU is also important from the environmental point of view. Rural tourism will increase with the efforts of ICRT. Efforts will be made to increase the number of tourists without disturbing the environment. Tourism Minister said that we should also review the progress of earlier MoUs every 6 months.
In his address, Awanish Kumar Awasthi said, ‘Uttar Pradesh Tourism is flying the flag of success on the global stage. Compared to 2017, the amount allocated to the tourism department has increased tenfold, proving that the department is reaching new heights every day. He also stated that Uttar Pradesh is contributing to the Prime Minister’s goal of a $5 trillion economy by working towards achieving the $1 trillion economy goal for the state. This time, the target is to attract 850 million tourists. We must move forward with clear goals for Maha Kumbh 2025.”
Principal Secretary Tourism and Culture Mukesh Kumar Meshram said, “The goal of responsible tourism is to preserve the natural beauty and cultural heritage of tourist places and make local communities partner in sustainable tourism.”
ICRT’s India Head Manisha Pandey expressed, “It feels good to be associated with the Uttar Pradesh government. The experience of working together with other states of the country has been good. UP has immense potential and possibilities for tourism. Our role is to play the tourism form in a responsible manner.”
