UP tourism, culture budgets jump 20-fold since 2017

Lucknow: UP’s tourism and culture sectors have seen a massive rise in government funding over the past few years with tourism budget allocations increasing 22-fold and culture spending rising nearly 20 times since 2017, according to officials at the Tourism Department’s Standing Committee meeting on Tuesday.Tourism minister Jaiveer Singh said: “the sharp increase speaks for govt’s commitment to transform the state into a leading tourism and cultural hub through planned development, heritage conservation and improved infrastructure.”Additional chief secretary for tourism, culture and religious affairs, Amrit Abhijat said the enhanced funding had accelerated large-scale projects across religious, cultural and heritage destinations, significantly strengthening the state’s tourism ecosystem.Officials said the expanded budget had played a crucial role in the development of major spiritual centres such as Ayodhya, Kashi and Prayagraj, while also boosting preparations for landmark events like Mahakumbh 2025.