Varanasi: The crescent-shaped ghats of the Ganga, the ringing temple bells, the distinct identity of its narrow lanes and centuries-old traditions make Kashi different from other cities of the world. This is why Kashi has long been a center of faith and attraction for people from India and around the world.
The governments of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have expanded facilities here as times have changed. While preserving its ancient heritage, the expansion of modern facilities has made Kashi a safe and attractive destination for tourists from India and abroad.
This is why the number of tourists visiting here has been increasing year after year.
According to the Tourism Department, from 2014 to July 2026, a total of 52 crore, 71 lakh 41 thousand 814 Indian and foreign tourists visited Kashi. These include 52 crore 40 lakh 46 thousand 803 Indian tourists and 30 lakh 95 thousand 11 foreign tourists. According to the data, compared to the number of tourists who visited Kashi in 2014, 4 crore 10 lakh 70 thousand 422 more people had already visited by July 2016.
The continuously increasing number of tourists reflects the changing face of Kashi and has also directly impacted the local economy and tourism industry. The increase in tourist movement has raised demand for hotels, guest houses, restaurants, boat operations, flowers and garlands, puja materials, taxis and auto-rickshaws, tour and travel services, and local markets and handicraft products.
This has created new employment and income opportunities for small businesses associated with tourism, shopkeepers, boatmen, guides, artisans and people working in the service sector. Thus, tourism is no longer limited to religious and cultural experiences, but is becoming one of the important sectors driving Kashi’s local economy.
After the formation of the Modi government at the Center in 2014 and the Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, development and tourism in Kashi gained new momentum. The expansion of road, rail and air connectivity, better public facilities, cleanliness, development of ghats and beautification of major religious and historical sites have continuously enriched the tourism experience in Kashi.
With tourists' convenience and safety in mind, tourism infrastructure and law and order have been strengthened, while new tourism experiences have also been expanded.
The development of Kashi Vishwanath Dham has increased facilities for devotees and tourists in the temple area. In contrast, beautification of the ghats, improved cleanliness, development of Sarnath, and activities such as river cruises on the Ganga have further expanded the scope of tourism.
Today, Kashi presents a confluence of modern facilities with religious, spiritual, cultural and heritage tourism. Centuries-old traditions are attracting tourists in a new form.
On the occasion of World Tourism Day, this changing face of Kashi shows that expansion of modern facilities while preserving heritage can take tourism to new heights.
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"Our effort is to connect tourists with modern tourism while preserving the centuries-old traditions of Kashi, so that tourists from across the world come here not only for darshan, but also return after experiencing Kashi’s culture, heritage and way of life."
Jaiveer Singh
Tourism and Culture Minister, Uttar Pradesh
Number of tourists in Varanasi from 2014 to July 2026
Year Indian tourists Foreign tourists Total tourists*
-2014 - 52,02,236 2,87,761 54,89,997
-2015 - 54,13,927 3,02,370 57,16,297
-2016 - 56,00,146 3,12,519 59,12,665
-2017 - 59,47,355 34,860 62,82,215
-2018 - 60,95,890 3,49,270 64,45,160
-2019 - 64,47,775 3,50,000 67,97,775
-2020 - 8,76,303 1,06,189 9,82,492
-2021 - 30,75,913 2,566 30,78,479
-2022 - 7,11,47,310 83,741 7,12,31,051
-2023 - 8,52,71,729 2,01,904 8,54,73,633
-2024 - 10,97,87,811 3,09,932 11,00,97,743
-2025 - 17,27,52,530 3,21,358 17,30,73,888
-2026 - 4,64,27,878 1,32,541 4,65,60,419
(up to July)
