UP Targets Global Spiritual Tourism Hub Under Viksit Uttar Pradesh 2047 Roadmap

Lucknow: Under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s vision of “Viksit Uttar Pradesh @2047,” the Tourism Department has released its roadmap to achieve the goal of a $6 trillion economy by 2047. As part of this roadmap, the department has set an ambitious target to establish the state as the spiritual and cultural capital of the world by 2047.

In this direction, the state aims to progressively increase its contribution to tourism-based Gross Value Added (GVA) from the current 9.2% to 11% by 2029-30, 14% by 2035-36, and 16% by 2046-47.

To achieve the vision of “Viksit Uttar Pradesh @2047,” the Tourism Department will accelerate efforts to strengthen tourism infrastructure across the state. During the tenure of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, major beautification and restoration work has already been carried out at tourism and culturally significant sites across the state.

Additionally, under the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Policy 2022, rapid development of tourism-based infrastructure such as hotels, restaurants, and homestays has taken place. Moving forward, the state aims to increase the number of tourist rooms available per one lakh population from the current 30 to 150 by 2047.

At the same time, the average stay of foreign tourists in the state is targeted to increase from the current 3 nights to 6 nights by 2046-47.

Uttar Pradesh is also working to further strengthen its position as the leading state in tourist arrivals. The state already ranks first in domestic tourist arrivals among all Indian states and currently holds the fourth position in foreign tourist arrivals. Efforts will be made to further increase the number of international visitors.

According to tourism economy benchmarks, one tourist generates income for six people. In this context, besides the record 66 crore visitors who attended the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, the state’s other tourist destinations recorded 64.9 crore tourist visits.

The Tourism Department has set a target to increase this number to 75 crore by 2029-30 and 1 billion by 2047.

To strengthen Uttar Pradesh’s position on the global tourism map, special emphasis is also being placed on increasing the number of tangible and intangible cultural heritage sites recognized by UNESCO.

Currently, the state has seven UNESCO-recognized heritage elements. The government aims to increase this number to eight by 2029-30, fourteen by 2035-36, and twenty by 2047. This initiative will play a significant role in giving global recognition to the state’s rich cultural heritage and attracting more international tourists.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s vision of “Viksit Uttar Pradesh @2047” is expected to accelerate the tourism-based economy while presenting the state’s cultural heritage more effectively on the global stage. With the development of major spiritual centers such as Varanasi, Ayodhya, Prayagraj, and Mathura–Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh is steadily emerging as a global spiritual tourism hub.

This growth is also expected to generate employment opportunities and strengthen the local economy across the state.