Lucknow, Read. Uttar Pradesh is preparing to link its Buddhist circuit in Japan with tourism and investment. In the Tourism Expo Japan-2026 to be held in Tokyo from 24 to 27 September, the state will present six major sites associated with Lord Buddha from Sarnath to Kushinagar as a tourist route. The Expo's Industry Days will feature discussions with Japanese tour operators, travel companies, hospitality groups and investors on investment in hotels, wellness and other tourism facilities. The expo is being organized at Tokyo Big Site.
Sarnath, Kushinagar, Shravasti, Kapilvastu, Kaushambi and Sankisa will be given prominence as Buddhist tourism circuits. Especially the inclusion of Sarnath in the UNESCO World Heritage list in July 2026 will be presented as the new global identity of the state. According to UNESCO, Sarnath is the site where Buddha gave his first sermon and is among the major Buddhist pilgrimage sites.
Keeping an eye on Japanese tourists, tour packages will also be in discussion
According to Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh, direct communication will be held with Japanese tour operators to further strengthen Buddhist tourism ties with Japan. According to the department, the number of tourists at six Buddhist sites in the state increased from 22.40 lakh in 2022 to 81.83 lakh in 2025. The number of foreign tourists has also increased from 48,498 to about 4.43 lakh. It is claimed that 30.07 lakh tourists will reach these places in January-June 2026, of which 2.02 lakh were foreigners.
Efforts to bring investment proposals worth Rs 4345 crore on ground
Work worth more than Rs 218 crore is going on in 51 schemes for the development of tourist facilities at Buddhist sites. According to the department, investment proposals worth about Rs 4,345 crore have been registered for about 250 tourism units at six Buddhist sites. New tour packages and investment possibilities along with these proposals will be discussed in the Trade Day of the Expo. The international airports of Varanasi and Kushinagar will also be projected as major hubs of connectivity.