Mahakumbh 2025 – Tourists to get skilled and smart service providers in UP

Prayagraj| The Yogi government of Uttar Pradesh is providing better facilities and environment to the tourists in the state on the basis of traditional Indian values and the concept of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’. Due to this great effort of the government, the tourism sector in the state is being rejuvenated. A huge public gathering like Prayagraj Mahakumbh is providing it a big platform. Various training programs are being run across Prayagraj to give impetus to tourism, which will not only increase the income of vendors and service providers during the Mahakumbh, but will also provide direct or indirect employment to more than 45 thousand families. Along with this, new sources of employment will also develop around all religious tourist places.

The Yogi government of the state has given a new dimension to the tourism sector which has been neglected in Uttar Pradesh since the year 2017. The map of development of the tourism sector began to change after the new Tourism Policy-2022 of Uttar Pradesh was approved on November 16, 2022. With the new tourism policy, a target has been set to provide investment of Rs 20 thousand crores and employment to 10 lakh people in the state. In this too, it is important to first connect the service providers associated with the tourism sector with skill development and management. Prayagraj Regional Tourism Officer Aparajita Singh says that a campaign has been started to train all the service providers who come in direct or indirect contact with tourists in Mahakumbh. Service providers like seafarers, tour guides, and street vendors are being given skill development and management training.

In Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi government is giving a new role to the sailors who earn their living by operating boats in rivers in religious places by increasing their income and developing their capabilities. The Department of Tourism is training 2000 seafarers in this. Regional Tourism Officer Aparajita Singh says that the Tourism Department has signed an MoU with Manyawar Kanshiram Institute of Tourism Management and another institution under which this training is going on, so far 300 sailors have been given skill development training. With this training, sailors will now be able to move beyond sailing and discharge the role of river guide. This will provide employment to thousands of sailors sailing boats along religious places in rivers and the environment of tourist places will also improve.

To increase the number of tourists in tourist places, along with the development of infrastructure in these places, service providers will also have to be made smart to provide services here. In view of this, the Tourism Department is providing skill development and management training to 1000 tour guides in Prayagraj. This training is going on under the leadership of Prakhar Tiwari, Assistant Professor, Honorable Kanshiram Institute of Tourism Management, Lucknow. Prakhar Tiwari explains that till now the training of seven batches of tour guides has been completed here, in this 420 tour guides are ready to train and provide services. There is a great need to create a trained manpower pool in the tourism sector to deliver quality services to the tourists. This manpower can prove useful in the hospitality of the tourists coming to Mahakumbh.

Prayagraj Regional Tourism Officer Aparajita Singh says that along with tour guides and sailors, now the city’s street vendors and taxi drivers are also being trained to skill all the service providers and manpower associated with the tourism sector before the Mahakumbh. Street vendors are an important component of the urban economy, which, while on one hand they deliver essential daily essentials to the local people, they also have contact with tourists coming from outside. Their training is also necessary to sensitize tourists about their behavior and to provide information about cleanliness at tourist places and routes. Their training has been started by the Tourism Department. 600 street vendors and 600 taxi drivers are to be trained in Prayagraj. Under this, so far 250 street vendors and 120 taxi drivers have been trained.

While the new tourism policy of the Yogi government is proving to be a game changer for the tourism sector, it has opened up unlimited employment opportunities. Providing training in skill development and management to these service providers related to tourism before Mahakumbh in Prayagraj will provide employment to a large number of youth. Their income will increase. According to the Regional Tourist Officer, this training campaign before Mahakumbh will provide direct or indirect employment to more than 45 thousand families. Along with this, new sources of employment will also develop around these religious tourist places.