LUCKNOW: Terming safety and connectivity as key drivers of growth, additional chief secretary, tourism and culture, Amrit Abhijat said these are crucial to expanding tourism and strengthening the economy.Speaking during a panel discussion on ‘UP We Live In: Safety, connectivity and culture through young eyes’, Abhijat said, “Better access to destinations, coupled with security, helps attract visitors and supports economic activity.”He said tourist arrivals rose from 320 million in 2022 to 1.56 billion in 2025, while over Rs 10,788 crore was invested in tourism infrastructure.Writer and scholar Yatindra Mishra said UP’s history and geography were deeply intertwined with India’s cultural and civilisational ethos, reflected in epics. SP, Women and Child Security Wing 1090 (UP Police), Vrinda Shukla, said the state had strengthened its women’s safety system.“The entire spectrum of women’s safety has been made so robust that we are seeing results on the ground,” Shukla said.
