Tag Archives: Uttar Pradesh

The Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned four new projects for Rs 190.46 crores under the tourism infrastructure development schemes, Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD in Meghalaya, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Under north east circuit of Swadesh Darshan Scheme, the Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned the project ‘Development of West Khasi Hills (Nongkhlaw- Krem Tirot – Khudoi & Kohmang Falls – Khri River- Mawthadraishan, Shillong), Jaintia Hills (Krang Suri Falls- Shyrmang- Iooksi), Garo Hills (Nokrek Reserve, Katta Beel, Siju Caves)’ in Meghalaya for Rs. 84.95 crore. Through this project, the Ministry will be developing facilities like festival grounds, tourist facilitation centre, last-mile connectivity, public conveniences, cable suspension bridge, cafeteria, trekking routes, boating facilities, illumination, solid waste management, drinking water facility, caving facilities, visitor centres, adventure sports activities, craft haats, etc. in the state. Development of Gorakhnath Temple (Gorakhpur), Devipattan Temple (Balrampur) and Vatvashni Temple (Domariyagunj) has also been sanctioned for Rs 21.16 Crores under spiritual circuit of Swadesh Darshan scheme. The facilities being developed under this project include tourist facilitation centre, toilet blocks, pathways, shelters, landscaping, gazebos, illumination, CCTV camera, benches, dustbins, informative and directional signages, etc. Under the PRASHAD scheme, the ministry has sanctioned the project ‘Development of Govardhan’ in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh for Rs 39.74 crores. The sites taken up in the project include Govardhan Parikrama Marg, Kusum Sarovar, Chandra Sarovar and Manasi Ganga. The facilities like development of bus stand, toilets, illumination of ghats, parking, pathways, landscaping and beautification, PA system, benches, toilets, etc. are also being developed under the project. The ministry has also sanctioned the project ‘Development of Pilgrimage Amenities at Somnath – Phase II’ for Rs 44.59 crores under the PRASHAD scheme. The facilities being developed …

More than 12 crore pilgrims are expected to visit Prayagraj Kumbh Mela 2019 starting January 15 at Prayagraj (formerly known as Allahabad) in Uttar Pradesh, including 10 lakh foreign tourists. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has joined hands with the Government of Uttar Pradesh in promoting the one-of-its-kind event. Suresh Kumar Khanna, Urban Development Minister, Uttar Pradesh announced the details of Prayagraj Kumbh Mela 2019 in Mumbai recently, saying, “This event is organised at four places in the country. The event held at Prayagraj itself is a subject of attraction and curiosity for the country and the world. Following the efforts made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UNESCO has included Kumbh in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.” Programmes based on ancient cultural heritage will be organised, in addition to cultural programmes, food, festival etc. To seek support for Kumbh 2019 from Maharashtra, Khanna met Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister, Maharashtra, and handed over an invitation to him on behalf of Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh. The team also discussed the preparation by the state for this sought-after event. The Government of India has made a historic increase in number of flights by constructing a new air civil terminal in Prayagraj, which is now connected to the country’s several main cities like Bengaluru, Indore, Nagpur, Patna etc. A heliport is also being set up here and arrangements are being made to provide the facility of helicopter joy ride to tourists. Also, to provide high-quality facilities to tourists, a premium tent city is being developed in the Kumbh Mela area.

Ramayana Circuit has been identified for development under the Swadesh Darshan scheme of Ministry of Tourism. The Ministry had earlier identified fifteen destinations for development under the Ramayana Circuit theme namely Ayodhya, Nandigram, Shringverpur & Chitrakoot (Uttar Pradesh), Sitamarhi, Buxar & Darbhanga (Bihar), Chitrakoot (Madhya Pradesh), Mahendragiri (Odisha), Jagdalpur (Chattisgarh), Nashik and Nagpur (Maharashtra), Bhadrachalam (Telangana), Hampi (Karnataka) and Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu). The details of projects sanctioned under the Ramayana Circuit theme of Swadesh Darshan during the last two years are: development of Ayodhya under Ramayana Circuit theme in Uttar Pradesh (2017-18) – Rs 133.31 cr sanctioned; development of Wayside Amenities in Buddhist Circuit and Ramayana Circuit: Varanasi-Gaya; Lucknow-Ayodhya- Lucknow; Gorakhpur-Kushinagar; Kushinagar-Gaya- Kushinagar (2018-19) – Rs 18.10 crore sanctioned. For the state of Chhattisgarh, the Ministry has sanctioned the project for development of Tribal Tourism Circuit in Jashpur- Kunkuri-Mainpat- Ambikapur- Maheshpur -Ratanpur- Kurdar-Sarodadadar- Gangrel- Kondagaon– Nathiya Nawagaon- Jagdalpur- Chitrakoot- Tirthgarh in the year 2015-16 with a total sanction amount of Rs 99.21 crore. Submission of project proposals by the State Governments/Union Territory (UT) Administrations under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme is a continuous process. The projects for development under the scheme are identified in consultation with the State Governments/UT Administrations and are sanctioned subject to availability of funds, submission of suitable detailed project reports, adherence to scheme guidelines and utilisation of funds released earlier.

SMA Sheeraz, Managing Director, Sheeraz Tours won the Face of the Future title. Through his 20-year long association with the industry, Sheeraz has earned the goodwill of various domestic and international tourism boards and airlines. As the founder of Sheeraz Tours in Lucknow in 2007, he has helped scale the company to new heights and has become one of the most trusted travel companies in North India. He is also the Director of Tripshapers.com, a B2B online portal company, where he plays an instrumental role in showcasing the Uttar Pradesh region as a potential outbound market from India.  

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently inaugurated India Travel Mart (ITM) Lucknow in the presence of Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Tourism Minister, Uttar Pradesh and other senior dignitaries, delegates, exhibitors, hoteliers, travel agents, tour organisers and media from various parts of the country. Many tourism departments like Host State – Uttar Pradesh Tourism, Partner State – Gujarat Tourism & Rajasthan Tourism, Himachal Tourism, Jharkhand Tourism, Uttarkhand Tourism, Madhya Pradesh Tourism, West Bengal Tourism, Delhi Tourism, Spiceland Holidays, Globewel Holidays Dubai, Club Mahindra, Country Inn Group of Hotels & Resorts,  Travel Mail, Hoteliers, travel agents and tour organisers participated at the event.   

Srei Advisory, a division of Srei Infrastructure Finance and the Department of Infrastructure and Industrial Development, Government of Uttar Pradesh, have signed an MoU to rejuvenate Agra as an iconic tourist-cum-holiday destination. The proposal is expected to attract investments of around Rs 25,000 crore in Uttar Pradesh. The project will accentuate Agra’s historical, cultural and heritage contours, promote lesser known monuments and temples, and expand tourists’ focal point from the Taj Mahal to all the three World Heritage sites in the city. Dr Ratiranjan Mandal, Senior Advisor, Srei Advisory, said, “The Taj Mahal draws millions of tourists to Agra every year. Hence, we have a responsibility to ensure that the city is as good as you have heard. Also, the Taj Mahal is not the sole attraction. The legacy of the Mughal Empire has left a magnificent fort and several mausoleums. We would be interested in more such opportunities to develop holistic infrastructure facilities in the state.” The project will create necessary infrastructure in hospitality, transport, city and river front beautification, logistic parks and warehousing with active support from the Government of Uttar Pradesh. The project is expected to commence operations in 2018-19, subject to necessary statutory approvals and clearances.  

The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand Chapter has signed an MoU with Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh to establish a cooperative relationship between the two that will help students of tourism. The MoU is with respect to offering a Bachelor in Vocational (B.VOC) Tourism & Hospitality Course, a three-year degree course. It will be conducted at Dr. RML Avadh University. Sunil B. Satyawakta, Chairman, TAAI – Uttar Pradesh & Uttarakhand Chapter, says, “This MOU sets the framework for the cooperative relationship between the parties to enhance quality of education in courses and designing the curriculum to make it industry relevant. This is the third MoU signed by the chapter with education institutes in the last two years. The others were with Lucknow University and Banaras Hindu University.”

Hilton has announced the opening of Hilton Garden Inn Lucknow, the first Hilton Garden Inn and second Hilton property in Uttar Pradesh, following the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Agra. “India is an important growth market for Hilton Garden Inn and we are delighted to expand our portfolio by opening our fourth hotel in the country. We remain committed to giving our guests exceptional experiences while staying true to our brand promise to make the guests’ stay better,” said John Greenleaf, Global Head, Hilton Garden Inn. Hilton Garden Inn Lucknow boasts 125 contemporary guestrooms, including four junior and executive suites. The hotel provides an abundance of amenities to elevate guests’ stay experience, including bedding with hypoallergenic pillows, 43-inch LCD TV and a spacious workstation with Herman Miller ergonomic chair. Complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi access is available throughout the hotel and guests may choose to stay connected and productive at 24-hour business center, which offers complimentary printing facilities.    

With an aim to promote the tourism avenues of Uttar Pradesh in the world, Government of Uttar Pradesh is set to organise International Conclave from February 20-22, 2018 in Lucknow. A meeting of stakeholders chaired by Akhand Pratap Singh, IAS, Special Secretary, Department of Tourism, Govt of UP & Managing Director, UP State Tourism Development Corporation Limited was held on November 29 at Paryatan Bhawan, Lucknow. Surendra Kumar Jaiswal, President, Uttar Pradesh Hotel & Restaurant Association (UPHRA) who is also Hony. Secretary of FHRAI and HRANI along with fellow hoteliers and stakeholders attended the meeting to discuss the roadmap of the event.

Tourism department of Uttar Pradesh is planning to release its Tourism Policy by November this year. The draft policy will be placed under the Cabinet’s consideration and then will be released thereafter, informed Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Minister of Women Welfare, Family Welfare, Maternity and Child Welfare and Tourism, Government of Uttar Pradesh. According to Joshi, the private players play a major role in tourism development in the state and the policy will offer a host of incentives and concessions to them. “We have everything in the state, be it religious tourism, spiritual tourism, eco-tourism, wildlife, landscape, festivals, heritage and culture etc. The government is very aggressive to develop and promote this sector in collaboration with the private players. We hope with such vision and efforts, UP will become the number one state in terms of tourism.”