Tourism Breaking News
Uttar Pradesh Government has revealed its new Tourism Policy 2018, with an enhanced budget of Rs 687 crore from the earlier Rs 347 crores. An additional Rs 650 crores will be provided by the Centre for different schemes. The new policy promises to generate 5 lakh jobs annually by investing Rs 5000 crore per year for the next five years. The policy will also aim to achieve an annual increase of 15 per cent domestic tourists and 10 per cent foreign tourist arrival in the state. Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Tourism Minister, Government of Uttar Pradesh, informed that the policy will grant the status of industry to all activities of tourism sector. “The tourism policy will lay a foundation to make UP the most preferred tourism destination in the country by increasing tourist arrivals and recording highest tourist receipts, develop tourism circuits and providing other facilities. Safety and security of all tourists, especially women, will remain the utmost priority for the state government.”
“The state government has assured to provide Rs 1000 crores for the implementation of the new tourism policy of which Rs 70 crores have already been sanctioned,” said Joshi. The new policy also promises to offer a wide range of financial incentives and benefits to investors. As of date, the state tourism department has received an investment of over Rs 10,000 crore as 23 companies have shown interest. “All benefits would be offered within 20 kms of all tourist sites of 10 tourism circuits including Ramayan circuit, Krishna/Braj circuit, Buddhist circuit, wildlife and Eco tourism circuit, Bundelkhand circuit, Mahabharata circuit, Shakti Peeth Circuit, Aadhyatmik circuit, Sufi/ Kabir circuit and Jain circuit,” added Joshi.
Salient features of the new policy:
• The policy will target one lakh additional tourists to national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the state
• Convert 10 heritage building to heritage hotels per year
• Give special focus to promote eco-tourism and drive local entrepreneurship avenues through execution of fairs and festivals
• Tourism department will create land bank for promoting tourism in the state
• The interest subsidy would be 5 per cent of the loan amount with maximum of Rs 25 lakhs
• 100 per cent waiver on stamp duty, conversion and development charges
• Reimbursement of 100 per cent of hospitality related courses fee up to Rs 10,000 per year, per person
• A subsidy of Rs 5 lakh to individuals or groups involved in reviving indigenous and scarce art, music, craft, folk dance and cuisine of UP
• The policy will grant a highest of 25 per cent subsidy to light and sound and lazer programmes
• 20 per cent incentive to new budget hotels, tented accommodation, heritage sites
• 15 per cent incentive to new hotels, resorts, wellness centres and convention centres
• Focus on introduction of Bed and Breakfast scheme, which is also applicable to Ashrams (the establishment will remain under residential category and domestic rate for electricity and water tax will be charged)
