Lucknow/Varanasi, October 6, 2026:

Nearly 50 women entrepreneurs, investors and digital creators will step into the role of destination storytellers as Uttar Pradesh Tourism takes its ‘Visit My State’ campaign from Lucknow to Varanasi and Sarnath from October 7 to 9.

Organised by Uttar Pradesh Tourism in coordination with FICCI FLO, the three day familiarisation journey has been designed to turn first hand experiences of cuisine, craft, faith and heritage into new travel narratives, market connections and collaborations. By engaging participants who work across fashion, sustainable design, hospitality, travel, education, wellness and digital communication, the department seeks to take Uttar Pradesh’s destinations to newer audiences while bringing tourism closer to local livelihoods.

Beginning and concluding in Lucknow, the journey will take participants through Kashi’s riverfront, temples, food traditions and handloom clusters before reaching Sarnath. The route reflects Uttar Pradesh Tourism’s effort to present destinations through the people and traditions that give them their identity, while encouraging visitors to explore beyond individual monuments and spend more time within the state.

Lucknow’s recognition as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy has given Uttar Pradesh a wider global platform for its culinary traditions. In Varanasi, participants will experience how food, spirituality, weaving and the Ganga together shape the city’s living heritage. The journey will include Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Ganga Aarti, a sunrise cruise, Ramnagar Fort, local cuisine and interactions with the Banarasi handloom community.

Banarasi saree revival will be an important part of the programme. Participants will meet weavers, handloom entrepreneurs and merchants to understand the skill and extensive livelihood chain behind the finished saree, from design, dyeing and weaving to zari work, finishing and retail.

The engagement will also examine how traditional sarees can find a larger place in contemporary daily, corporate and formal wear. Participants associated with fashion, design, sustainability and retail will explore styling ideas, lookbooks, sourcing connections and digital narratives under the Saree Back in Fashion initiative.

The interaction is expected to introduce artisan communities directly to women who influence consumer choices, design conversations and business networks. This can help strengthen the market for Banarasi weaving while allowing travellers to understand the people, processes and cultural knowledge behind one of Uttar Pradesh’s best known crafts.

The journey will culminate at Sarnath, which was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2026. Visits to Dhamek Stupa, Chaukhandi Stupa, Mulagandha Kuti Vihara and the Archaeological Museum will introduce participants to the site’s place in Buddhist history and its importance within Uttar Pradesh’s wider Buddhist Circuit.

Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said, “Under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s leadership, Uttar Pradesh Tourism is developing experiences that connect travellers with the people and traditions behind every destination. Through Visit My State, we want the visibility created by tourism to translate into longer stays, stronger markets and greater opportunities for weavers, artisans, guides, boatmen, food businesses and young tourism professionals.”

Additional Chief Secretary, Tourism, Culture and Religious Affairs, Amrit Abhijat said, “First hand engagement creates a more informed and credible way of presenting a destination. By bringing gastronomy, craft, spiritual heritage and Buddhist tourism into one journey, we can encourage deeper travel while widening the participation of local communities in the tourism economy.”

The familiarisation trip is intended to create outcomes beyond the three day visit, with participants expected to carry Uttar Pradesh’s tourism stories into their professional networks, consumer communities and digital platforms while building new connections with the state’s artisans and tourism stakeholders.