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UP tourism department to upgrade 1001 dhabas in state
Tourism and culture minister Jaiveer Singh said, “ In 2023 alone, over 480 million tourists visited the state, drawn to key sites like Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mathura and various Buddhist locations. They all visit the dhabas if they are travelling on road. It si important to ensure that tourists face no inconvenience during their travels and have access to comfortable and well-equipped resting places like these dhabas.”
Lucknow The Uttar Pradesh tourism department has decided to upgrade 1,001 roadside dhabas along national highways (NH), state highways (SH), and other major routes across the state. The initiative aims to equip these dhabas with world-class amenities to improve the travel experience for tourists. Under the scheme, the tourism department will provide a subsidy of 25% to 30% to support these upgrades. Additionally, the dhabas will be encouraged to collaborate with major companies, ensuring that travellers can access a wide range of quality products during their journeys.
Tourism and culture minister Jaiveer Singh said, “ In 2023 alone, over 480 million tourists visited the state, drawn to key sites like Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mathura and various Buddhist locations. They all visit the dhabas if they are travelling on road. It si important to ensure that tourists face no inconvenience during their travels and have access to comfortable and well-equipped resting places like these dhabas.”
The department’s efforts are aligned with the broader goal of enhancing tourism infrastructure across the state. The focus is on developing dhabas along NH and SH routes, which are frequently used by tourists, into hubs of comfort and quality service. The listed dhabas will undergo a registration process with the tourism department, after which the owners will be guided on expanding and improving their facilities like standard of washrooms, quality of food, dress of staff, sanitation, quality of utensils used, welcoming the guests and communicating the important things like history and unique points about the area’s heritage and cuisine etc.
In addition to financial support, the initiative will also include training programmes for dhaba staff. These programmes, provided by the ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship (MKSITM), will focus on cleanliness, hospitality and customer service, ensuring that the staff can deliver an exceptional experience to all visitors.
The minister urged dhaba owners to take advantage of this opportunity and contribute to the state’s vision of becoming a top-tier tourism destination. He emphasized that tourists from across the world were considered guests in Indian culture and should be treated with the utmost respect and hospitality.
For those dhaba owners who have not yet registered, the department has provided helpline numbers—9532729982 and 8009172326—for assistance in registration.
