Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed that a comprehensive and time-bound action plan to be prepared to develop eco-tourism in Uttar Pradesh, positioning it as a key pillar of employment generation, environmental conservation and economic growth.
The Chief Minister said, “The state’s rich biodiversity, forest areas and natural heritage hold immense potential for eco-tourism, which needs to be systematically developed on the ground. Active participation of the private sector should be ensured so that eco-tourism can be developed as a strong and sustainable industry.”
Chairing a meeting of the Uttar Pradesh Eco-Tourism Development Board on Monday, the Chief Minister directed that quality hotels, standard restaurants, comfortable accommodation facilities and modern infrastructure to be developed at selected eco-tourism sites to attract national and international tourists.
“Promising areas such as Kusumhi Forest in Gorakhpur, Kumarganj area in Ayodhya, Kamakhya Forest Park in Ghazipur and Maheshpur Range in Lakhimpur Kheri should be developed through the PPP model, creating new employment opportunities at the local level”, he added.
The Chief Minister said that Uttar Pradesh’s biodiversity, natural resources, wetlands, lakes, wildlife and river systems are not merely tourism assets but form the foundation of the state’s future. He emphasized that eco-tourism will become a major pillar of employment, economy, conservation and global identity in the coming years and therefore each district should develop a safe, clean and sustainable eco-tourism model.
He further directed that eco-tourism should be developed as a robust model integrating nature conservation, local employment, private investment and rural development, with priority given to the participation of local communities in its operations.
During the meeting, it was informed that between the financial years 2022-23 and 2024-25, a total of 44 eco-tourism infrastructure projects were initiated across major sites including Dudhwa, Pilibhit, Ranipur and Katarniaghat Tiger Reserves, as well as key wetlands such as Haiderpur, Bakhira, Sur Sarovar, Samaspur and Nawabganj. The Board is now working on asset monetization and long-term sustainability, under which the PPP model is being implemented for eco-lodges, floating restaurants and tourist facilities.
Emphasizing the need to improve connectivity, the Chief Minister said that weekend AC bus services should be operated between Lucknow-Palia and New Delhi-Palia. He also directed the launch of regional bus services for Pilibhit-Mailani-Bahraich and stated that, considering the success of the Transport Corporation’s model, these services should be extended to other eco-tourism destinations as well.
It was also informed in the meeting that in 2025-26, a total of 31 new projects have been proposed across various districts including Ayodhya, Agra, Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Chitrakoot, Maharajganj, Prayagraj, Banda, Bahraich, Sitapur, Unnao, Ballia, Etawa, and Mainpuri. These projects focus on new parks, interpretation centers, wetland development, bird-watching towers, trails, camping and tourist amenities.
The Board is also developing an AI chatbot and a mobile app, for which suggestions have been sought from various departments. Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh briefed the Chief Minister on departmental activities related to tourism development.
The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Suresh Khanna, Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh, Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh and Forest & Environment Minister Arun Saxena.
