Kashi tourism makeover: 8 new itineraries, 170 heritage spots to boost longer tourist stay

VARANASI: Tourists in Varanasi will have opportunity to walk through any of 170 places of importance as per eight new itineraries launched by Union ministry of tourism in collaboration with UP Tourism on Thursday, in the presence of 250 tour operators, travel agents and guides. The collaboration involved Varanasi Guru & Experience Varanasi, covering major spots listed among 170 places of importance. Ministry of tourism, in partnership with UP Tourism and Varanasi district administration, also organised awareness and B2B workshop for tour operators, travel agents, and guides of Varanasi and Sarnath.The workshop, presided over by Ravindra Jaiswal, UP minister of stamp, court fees & registration was also attended by divisional commissioner S Rajalingam and other senior officials. It's the Prime Minister's vision to transform Kashi into a world-class tourism destination, with specific objective to increase length of stay of tourists from one day to at least three days in Kashi, Sarnath, and surrounding areas. After analysing existing brochures and itineraries by ministry of tourism, it was found that only 20 places of importance were generally propagated and publicly available in itineraries for tourists, who end up spending only one day in Varanasi.Ministry officials engaged with experts to map out 170 places of tourist importance in Kashi and Sarnath for creation of heritage walk, and at least 20 places for creation of new itineraries and also collaborated with leading companies and tour operators to support the new offerings through sharing of authentic content and stories. The 11 new walk plans comprise The Bazaar Walk, Ashrams and Akhadas of Kashi, Weavers Village, Sarnath, Ramayana Walk, Music of Kashi, Food Tour, Spiritual Walk, Kashi Shakti, Ramnagar Ramleela and Kashi and Akhand Bharat—A Microcosm of India.New itineraries presented by UP Tourism include a Varanasi Wildlife 5-day itinerary, taking tourists to Rajdari and Devdari Waterfalls, Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary and Chunar Fort. A new Varanasi Vindhyachal itinerary was introduced, taking tourists to Vindhyachal Temples. Other attractions and destinations included in the itineraries were Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary, Prayagraj and Ayodhya.Ravindra Jaiswal urged tour operators, guides and travel trade community to include new walk plans launched in their tour packages, along with new packages based on the itineraries suggested by UP Tourism to diversify and increase length of stay in Kashi from one day to at least three days. He said travel trade community was the face of tourism in Varanasi and it was on them to take up the mantle of increasing length of stay as their foremost objective.The commissioner encouraged all tour operators and travel agents to include new walk and itineraries in their packages, along with sharing feedback with the administration on amenities needed at these spots to improve and enhance the overall tourist experience.