UP: Religious tourism powerhouse under double-engine government

In the 1960s, the contribution of Uttar Pradesh I to India's Gross Domestic Product was about 14.4%, but poor governance, corruption, and lawlessness in the following decades stagnated the state's growth and development.

- CHANDRABHAN TIWARI

Things changed for the better in 2017 when the Bhartiya Janata Party led by Yogi Adityanath came to power in India's most populous state.

The Yogi administration has focused its efforts on good policy initiatives, building better infrastructure, and making the state safer, to tap into the hidden potential of what people used to call a "bimaru" (laggard) state.

It is too early to say if Uttar Pradesh will become the driving force behind India's growth, but the state has become conducive to business and investment.

The tourism sector has undergone the most noticeable change experiencing incredible growth. From January to September 2024, 47.6 crore tourists visited the state. Ayodhya became the top spot drawing 13.6 crore pilgrims, surpassing Varanasi and Agra. After the opening of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, the pilgrim numbers to Kashi reached nearly 13 crore in 2022-2023, significantly higher than the previous yearly average of 30-40 lakh devotees. This increase has caused the temple's income to jump by 500%. The state's Buddhist circuit has also experienced significant footfall.