VARANASI: Bihar Tourism took center stage in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, with a vibrant roadshow held on Saturday at Hotel Ramada. The event aimed at promoting Bihar’s tourism extensively and attracted a diverse audience, including travel agents, tour operators, hoteliers, river cruise operators, bloggers, and vloggers associated with Uttar Pradesh’s tourism industry.
Abhay Kumar Singh, Secretary of Bihar Tourism, seized the opportunity to address the attendees, providing insights into the various schemes, programs, and policies implemented by the Bihar Tourism Department. Singh emphasized the profound connection between Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, particularly in the realms of religious, cultural, and spiritual tourism. He highlighted the synergy between the two states in popular circuits like the Ramayana and Buddhist circuits.
During his address, Singh expressed the desire for devotees visiting the birthplace of Lord Ram to explore additional sites like Ramrekha Ghat in Buxar, the place where Ram Ji received knowledge. He encouraged pilgrims to visit Punauradham in Sitamarhi, the birthplace of Maa Janaki, creating an interconnected pilgrimage experience akin to Buddhist tourists visiting various sites in Bihar.
Nand Kishore, the Managing Director of Tourism Corporation, outlined key elements of the tourism policy. He announced that tour operators and hoteliers from all states must open an office in Bihar for GST collection, enabling them to access grants of up to Rs 25 crore for developing essential infrastructure such as hotels, theme restaurants, parks, meditation centers, golf courses, and rural villages.
Welcoming the initiative, Bihar Tourism Director Vinay Kumar Rai highlighted the symbiotic relationship between tourists visiting Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. He stressed the need to enhance tourism figures, especially considering that Bihar had welcomed 7.12 crore domestic and 4.35 lakh foreign tourists until November 2023. Uttar Pradesh, being a significant contributor, was targeted for increased tourist inflow from the state.
The event showcased Bihar’s new tourism policy and provided updates on the development of tourist facilities through a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation. A question-and-answer session allowed stakeholders to engage directly with the Tourism Secretary, fostering transparency and collaboration.
The vote of thanks was delivered by Tourism Corporation GM Abhijeet Kumar, wrapping up a successful endeavor to promote Bihar as a vibrant tourist destination.
