Sipu Jha
At the 6th edition of TOI Dialogues – Infrastructure Chapter, held in Lucknow’s Taj Mahal Hotel, Gomti Nagar on Thursday, top government officials and tourism experts came together to talk about the future of infrastructure and tourism in Uttar Pradesh. Mukesh Kumar Meshram, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Government of Uttar Pradesh, shared several updates. He said, “We’re aiming to create one lakh hotel rooms in the next two years under the 2021 tourism policy, which is also being updated based on new suggestions,” said Meshram. He added that the homestay policy is active, allowing locals to rent out homes with government support. The state is also leasing out its forts and palaces to be turned into heritage hotels, with the condition that the original architecture is preserved.One of the key discussions centred around integrating health and heritage tourism across the state. Addressing health and wellness tourism, Meshram noted, “We don’t have a separate medical tourism policy yet, but we’re working on it. Post-Covid, people have become more health-conscious. UP has strong potential in yoga, naturopathy, and wellness tourism.”Pooja Singh, founder of My Mom’s Village, shared how her initiative was promoting community-driven and organic rural tourism, especially empowering women. “We’re working to shift tourism from just sightseeing to soul-seeing, experiences that connect travellers with nature and the local way of life. Alongside that, we’re empowering village women, practising organic farming, and making sure the community around us is part of the journey.“Pramit Mishra, Director of Tourism, highlighted the affordability of healthcare in the state. “Medical treatment in UP is about 20% cheaper than Delhi, and tier-3 cities have a lot of scope for medical infrastructure and affordable hospitality,” he said. Shantanu Gupta, author of The Monk Who Transformed Uttar Pradesh, spoke about the economic potential of religious tourism. “Religious events like the Kumbh Mela attract huge crowds.‘Dharmanomics’ can add 0.5% to 1% to GDP, which is significant.”TOI Dialogues is a flagship initiative by The Times of India that brings together policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society voices on one platform. Focused on India’s biggest development challenges and opportunities, it aims to spark meaningful conversations and drive collaborative solutions for the country’s growth.
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