The effort would be recognizing villages, rural homestays and farm stays that are strengthening tourism through culture, sustainability and local participation.
Entries were invited under three categories – best tourism village, best homestay (rural) and best farm stay.
Awards to be given in gold, silver and bronze segments. Registrations are open till Jan 20.
Already 800 rural homestays are registered with the tourism department.
Now the aim is to bring many more villages, families and farm stay operators into the tourism ecosystem.
Regions such as Gorakhpur, Awadh and Braj are witnessing a surge in rural tourism, with visitors arriving not only from across India but also from countries including Sri Lanka, Spain and Germany.
Under the best tourism village category, villages will be evaluated on heritage, natural and cultural assets, festivals, community participation, sustainability practices, visitor facilities and overall readiness to host tourists.
The best rural homestay category will assess authenticity of experience, guest comfort, transparency of operations and actual tourist footfall.
The best farm stay category will focus on farm-based experiences integrating agriculture, local produce, nature and professionally managed rural hospitality.
Stakeholders who are not registered with UP tourism are also eligible to apply. Applications can be submitted online through category-wise forms or by scanning QR codes available on the official tourism website.
