Ayodhya emerges as the top destination in Uttar Pradesh with over 11 crore visitors

In a recent update, Ayodhya, the temple town, has emerged as the top tourist destination in Uttar Pradesh with over 11 crore visitors. The city has overtaken Varanasi to bag the top position. The number includes both domestic and international visitors in the first six months of 2024 as compared to 4.61 crore visiting Varanasi.

The whopping number was shared by the state tourism department on Saturday. These numbers are of tourists visiting the state in the first six months of the year. The figures mention that nearly 33 crore tourists visited UP during this time.
According to Jaiveer Singh, UP tourism and culture minister, “A total of 32, 98, 18, 122 ( 32 crore 98 lakh 18,000 and 122) people visited various parts of the state in the first six months of 2024, compared to 31.86 crore tourists who visited in the entire year in 2022.” This number includes 32, 87, 81, 348 (32 crore, 87 lakh, 81 thousand and 348) domestic tourists, and 10, 36, 774 international visitors.


The minister further said that the hike is quite evident when compared with the first six months of last year which saw 19,60, 34, 967 tourists. This also shows a boost of over 13 crore visitors this year.

Read more: Picture-postcards from Switzerland's most charming villages

As per the tourism department, Ayodhya secured the first spot with 10.99 crore visitors, which includes 2851 foreign visitors. Next was Varanasi with 4.61 crore tourists, which included 1,33,999 international travellers.

The other top destinations in UP are Prayagraj, Mathura, and Agra, attracting millions of travellers every year. Prayagraj saw a footfall of 4,53,94,772 domestic and 3,668 foreign visitors arriving in the first six months of 2024. Mathura followed closely with 3,07,02,513 domestic and 49,619 foreign visitors.

The minister also said that Uttar Pradesh is making its presence felt on the global arena as a top tourist destination with its development of tourist attractions and improved facilities.

Read more: 5 offbeat getaways in India for a peaceful long weekend escape

Apparently, Ayodhya garnered a lot of international as well as national attention in the first month of 2024, thanks to the inauguration of the much-awaited Ram Mandir. Today, the city stands as one of the most revered destinations in the country.