Varanasi emerged as the top tourist destination in UP, overtaking Agra in 2023

Varanasi is the most visited tourist destination in UP

Prime Minister Modi’s continued focus on infrastructure and tourism in his parliamentary constituency has yielded results, as a Moneycontrol analysis showed that Varanasi has overtaken Agra to become the most-visited tourist destination in Uttar Pradesh, drawing 27 percent of all tourists the state received in 2023.

This marks a dramatic reversal from 2019, when Varanasi accounted for just 3.8 percent of the tourist share, well behind Agra, which then drew 15.5 percent. The share of the city averaged 7.6 percent between 2016-18.

Over the past few years, Varanasi has witnessed a slew of high-profile infrastructure projects including the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. On August 2, Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stones for projects worth Rs 2,200 crore in Varanasi and surrounding areas.

In contrast, Agra - long-regarded as Uttar Pradesh’s crown jewel due to the footfalls that Taj Mahal attracted - accounted for 21.9 percent of the tourist share in 2023, down sharply from 29.4 percent in 2016 and 28.5 percent in 2017.

Among other cities, Ayodhya saw a significant pick up, rising from 5.6 percent in 2019 to 13.1 percent in 2023, likely driven by the construction of the Ram Mandir, which turned the temple town into a national religious tourism magnet.

Similarly, Bareilly, which had a relatively low share of visitors in 2019, registered a sharp increase in its share to 7.7 percent in 2023.

On the other hand, Prayagraj, which saw its share of UP tourism spike to 53.6 percent in 2019 - likely due to the Ardh Kumbh Mela - saw a dramatic fall to 11.2 percent in 2023, returning to levels seen in earlier years. The share of tourism coming into Lucknow, Jhansi, Meerut, and Gorakhpur has remained stable, data showed.