Uttar Pradesh State Tourism Awards

What are the Uttar Pradesh State Tourism Awards?

The Uttar Pradesh State Tourism Awards are an annual recognition programme of the Department of Tourism, Government of Uttar Pradesh, established under clause 8.1 of the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Policy 2022. The awards sit in the "Government Facilitation" chapter of the policy rather than the incentives chapter, which tells you what they are for: they are a reputational instrument first and a cash prize second.

According to the Tourism Policy 2022, the awards "shall be awarded to provide recognition to extra-ordinary initiatives and service quality executed by various tourism businesses in the state", and are expected to "further encourage innovation and attract / promote investment and responsible tourism in the state".

Every year the Department of Tourism announces up to a maximum of 10 awards. Each awardee is felicitated with prize money of up to Rs 1 lakh, along with a certificate of recognition and a memento.

When and where are the awards presented?

The policy fixes three possible occasions for the ceremony:

• World Tourism Day, observed on 27 September
• National Tourism Day, observed on 25 January
• Uttar Pradesh Diwas, observed on 24 January

The department chooses one of these occasions in a given year. Because two of the three fall within days of each other in January, and the third falls in September, an intending nominee should track departmental notices from about August onwards and again from about December.

What categories are the awards given in?

The Tourism Policy 2022 lists the following categories, and expressly allows the department to add others:

• Best Tour Operator
• Best Wellness Centre
• Best Hotel
• Best Heritage Hotel
• Best Eco-Tourism Operator
• Best Eco-Resort
• Best Homestay
• Best Adventure Tour Operator
• Such other categories as the Department of Tourism deems fit

The last item matters. Because the total is capped at 10 awards, the department can and does vary the mix from year to year, dropping a category for which no strong candidate exists, or adding one that reflects a current priority such as rural tourism, a specific pilgrimage circuit or a responsible-tourism practice. No applicant should assume a fixed category list for the coming cycle.

Who is eligible for the State Tourism Awards?

A tourism business can be considered if:

• It is a tourism business operating in Uttar Pradesh. All the named categories, hotel, heritage hotel, homestay, eco-resort, wellness centre, tour operator, eco-tourism operator, adventure tour operator; are business categories.
• It is registered with the Department of Tourism, Uttar Pradesh. The Tourism Policy 2022 works throughout on the basis of registered eligible tourism units, and registration is the practical entry ticket.
• It is a registered commercial entity with a GST registration number, as the policy requires of eligible tourism units.
• It can evidence an extraordinary initiative or a standard of service quality, the two things the policy says the award recognises.

Who cannot apply or is not eligible:

• Private individuals who do not run a tourism business are not eligible. The award is not a citizen benefit and there is no personal application.
• Unregistered operators. A property or tour operation not on the department's rolls cannot be verified and will not be considered.
• Businesses outside Uttar Pradesh, even if they bring tourists into the state, since the award recognises tourism businesses in the state.
• More than 10 winners in a year. Even a strong candidate can miss out because the policy caps the total at 10 awards annually, so a rejection is frequently a quota outcome rather than a quality judgement.

What documents support a nomination?

Units claiming an eco or responsible-tourism category are in a stronger position if they can attach the certifications the policy itself rewards elsewhere — an IGBC, GRIHA or LEED green building certificate, or a GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) certification. The Tourism Policy 2022 reimburses 50 percent of the fees for these certifications, up to Rs 10 lakh and Rs 5 lakh respectively, which means a unit pursuing an eco-award can often fund the certification that supports its nomination.

How to apply for or be nominated for the State Tourism Awards

1. Register the unit with the Department of Tourism, Uttar Pradesh under the Tourism Policy 2022, if you have not already. Nothing else in this process works without a registration on record.
2. Watch for the department's call for nominations on uptourism.gov.in and in departmental notices, typically ahead of World Tourism Day in September or the January occasions. There is no standing form open all year.
3. Assemble the nomination file, unit profile, the specific initiative being put forward, photographs, guest feedback, occupancy or visitor numbers, any green or sustainability certification, and the GST and registration details.
4. Submit the nomination to the Directorate of Tourism, Paryatan Bhavan, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, or through the divisional Regional Tourist Officer, in the manner stated in that year's notice.
5. Respond to departmental verification. The department may seek clarification or inspect the unit before finalising the list.
6. Attend the ceremony on the notified occasion to receive the prize money, certificate and memento.

How to check the status of a nomination

There is no published online tracker for the awards. Keep the dispatch or acknowledgement number from the Directorate of Tourism, and follow up through the Regional Tourist Officer of your division. Results are announced as a list at the ceremony; unsuccessful nominees are not usually given individual reasons, because the selection is a comparative one against a cap of 10.

Common reasons a nomination does not succeed

• The 10-award ceiling was reached and stronger nominations were selected.
• The category was not run that year. The department varies categories, and a nomination in a category that was dropped cannot be considered.
• The unit is not registered with the Department of Tourism.
• The claimed initiative was not evidenced. A description with no photographs, data or third-party confirmation is hard to rank.
• The nomination arrived after the notified window for that cycle.
• The unit is not in Uttar Pradesh, or operates only as an outbound agent.

Key dates

The Uttar Pradesh Tourism Policy 2022 came into effect on 23 November 2022 and remains in force for 5 years or until substituted. The award cycle runs annually, and the ceremony is held on World Tourism Day (27 September), National Tourism Day (25 January) or Uttar Pradesh Diwas (24 January), whichever the department selects for that year.

Grievance redressal and contact

• Directorate of Tourism, Uttar Pradesh, Rajarshi Purushottam Das Tandon Paryatan Bhavan, C-13 Vipin Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow; email dg-upt@up.gov.in.
• Regional Tourist Officer of your division, for nomination routing and file status.
• Jansunwai, the Uttar Pradesh integrated grievance portal at jansunwai.up.nic.in, for a tracked written complaint about process.

The State Tourism Awards are decided departmentally. No agent, consultant or awards body can guarantee a Uttar Pradesh State Tourism Award, and no fee is payable to anyone for a nomination.