Uttar Pradesh Leads India’s Tourism Boom: Ayodhya, Varanasi & Prayagraj Drive Record Growth

Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a central player in the country’s tourism landscape, experiencing an increase of domestic tourists by 361% in approximately eight years. Fascinatingly, the number of domestic tourists has jumped from 23.75 crore to over 109.65 crore in the first quarter of 2025, placing UP Tourism on a firm footing as India’s leading destination.

The foundation of this remarkable ascent is the spiritual triangle of Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Prayagraj, a powerful circuit where belief meets culture and economic renewal, leading to an exciting change. The Ayodhya-Varanasi-Prayagraj Tour is on the way to becoming one of the most sought-after tourist circuits in Uttar Pradesh that has redefined how visitors experience pilgrimage and heritage.

• Ayodhya Religious Tourist Circuit
• Varanasi Religious Tourist Circuit
• Prayagraj Religious Tourist Circuit

The birthplace of Lord Ram, Ayodhya has emerged as the beacon of Tourism in UP, with a phenomenal increase from only 2.84 lakh tourists in 2017 to over 20 crore tourists in early 2025, even before the full inauguration of the illustrious Ram Temple. This increase of nearly 85 times the base year is a testimony of both the spiritual magnetism of Ayodhya and how quickly the associated infrastructure has transformed Ayodhya into one of the best tourist places in Uttar Pradesh. With nearly one in every five domestic travellers now visiting the city, Ayodhya has emerged as a metaphor for tourism in India, establishing that the spiritual and cultural tourism of India has truly found a holding in the current landscape.

Varanasi, an ancient city, continues to be the lifeblood of UP Tourism, where religious beliefs and modern cultural experiences coexist. Since the inception of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, which was inaugurated in 2021, Varanasi's visitor footfall has magnified eighteen-fold, from 67 lakh visitors in 2017 to 11 crore visitors in 2024, and then further with 11.47 crore visitors in the first quarter of 2025. Varanasi tourism today boasts interactive experiences such as heritage walks, river cruises, and light-and-sound experiences, making it one of the top visiting destinations in Uttar Pradesh and hosting some of the most beloved tourism activities in Varanasi.

Positioned at the holy Sangam of three revered rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati, Prayagraj is certainly the epicenter of Tourism in Uttar Pradesh. The holy city is well-venerated for being the location for the world's largest spiritual congregation: the Kumbh and Maha Kumbh. In 2025 alone, Prayagraj reported a staggering count of 66.96 crore pilgrims (670 million), accounting for nearly one-third of all tourists in the state. The enduring Faith Traditions and cultural vitality has established Prayagraj as a major tourist destination, as well as a key thematic identity within the popular tourist circuit in Uttar Pradesh, alongside Ayodhya and Varanasi.

Scholars have termed the spiritual trinity of Ayodhya, Varanasi and Prayagraj a "temple economy" with the potential to drive cultural and economic growth in India. Each temple is considered its own representation of art, culture, commerce, and jobs.

These experts in travel and tourism have said that for every rupee spent in the tourism industry, it moves through 6-7 hands before losing its value, creating livelihood opportunities and uplifting local communities. Therefore, there is room for creativity and innovation with people willing to pay the price for their convenience and aspirations.

This spillover has a potential impact on towns close to these shrines like Chappiya and city locations such as Shravasti, Kushinagar, and Lucknow, each with the potential to benefit from the large pilgrim movement through the Ayodhya – Varanasi - Prayagraj corridor.

Supported by large infrastructure projects and the government’s focus on UP Tourism as a growth agent, this belief-based circuit is not only changing the spiritual map of India but also setting the stage for the state’s pathway toward a trillion-dollar economy.

While the Ayodhya and Varanasi tourism stories garner media attention, Tourism in UP is focusing beyond faith in their visitors. Today, visitors are looking for a total experience with components such as light and sound shows, heritage walks, boat rides, and trips to museums.

The intention is to entice short-stay visitors into longer-term tourists—a valuable approach for sustainable economic development. In consideration of this, pilgrims are finding preferable accommodation facilities, cultural entertainment, and viable travel choices, keenly tailored to their spiritual expeditions.

While tourism in Varanasi and other centers expands big time, experts are issuing warnings about maintaining balance. Infrastructure, waste disposal, traffic, and sustainability all have to develop in tandem. Also, officials express concern for what responsible tourism means in practice: how growth in visitors does not come at the cost of cultural authenticity or the livelihood of local people.

Amrit Abhijat, Principal Secretary (Tourism), confirmed that UP is entering a defining moment in tourism growth. With enormous investment in cultural programming and infrastructure, the intent has been put straightforward: to convert UP into a global center of faith, heritage, and culture, all while contributing immensely to India's trillion-dollar economy dream.

From the sacred banks of Kashi to the holy temple at Ayodhya and the eternal confluence at Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh's holy trinity continues to emerge as a force in the Indian tourism story. The Ayodhya Varanasi Prayagraj Tour is the embodiment of India's living spirituality and economic potential; a perfect blend of faith, culture and sustainable development.

Grounded in faith and driven by innovation, UP Tourism is reimagining travel in India and opening up new pathways in global cultural tourism.

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