Roadmap discussed to develop Kanpur as tourism hub

Kanpur: Society for Tourism Development on Sunday organised Kanpur Tourism conclave to deliberate on the ways to transform Kanpur into a major tourism hub. The event brought together industrialists, entrepreneurs, representatives of the hotel industry, cultural organisations and social workers.The participants unanimously expressed their willingness to contribute towards developing Kanpur as a tourism centre, sharing a range of ideas and action plans to achieve the objective.Chief guest PC Thakur, managing director of the UP State Handloom Corporation, emphasised the need for community participation in tourism promotion. He said involving local residents would help preserve tourist destinations and strengthen the city's cultural identity. Founder-member Sudhanshu Rai highlighted the importance of adopting creative approaches and exploring new dimensions such as rural tourism and artificial tourism. He noted that tourism could play a key role in boosting employment and economic prosperity in the region.Entrepreneur Vishwanath Gupta stressed the need for a clear vision for tourism development and suggested promoting Kanpur as the "City of Happiness", while also advocating for its inclusion in major tourism circuits. Another entrepreneur, Sudip Goenka, called for innovative thinking and recommended the use of CSR funds for tourism-related projects.Abhishek Kapoor, representing the healthcare industry, proposed medical tourism as a new avenue, stating that Kanpur has the potential to emerge as a medical hub, provided quality services are ensured. Sukhbir Malik from the hotel industry suggested that organising food festivals could become a major attraction for tourists. Art expert Indra Mohan Rohatgi proposed the development of a Kanpur Haat as a dedicated cultural and tourism centre, while social worker Umesh Paliwal suggested setting up a Happiness Centre to add a new dimension to tourism.The Society chairman Praveen Agarwal announced that a comprehensive brochure on Kanpur tourism and a detailed tourism development plan would be prepared.