TOP 50 TOURIST DESTINATION WILL BE DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH STATES THROUGH A CHALLENGE MODE

MEDICAL TOURISM AND HEAL IN INDIA WILL BE PROMOTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR

MANUSCRIPT HERITAGE WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO COVER MORE THAN 1 CRORE MANUSCRIPTS

Union Budget 2025-26 has identified tourism as a sector for employment-led growth.   Presenting Budget in Parliament today,  Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman said that facilitating employment-led growth include organizing intensive skill-development programmes for youth including hospitality management, MUDRA loans for homestays, improving ease of travel and connectivity to tourist destinations, introducing streamlined e-visa facilities and providing performance-linked incentives to states.

She said that top 50 tourist destination sites in the country will be developed in partnership with states through a challenge mode. The Budget added that land for building key infrastructure including hotels will have to be provided by states and hotels in those destinations will be included in the infrastructure HML. Minister said that emphasis on places of spiritual and religious significance will be given and there will be a special focus on destinations related to the life and times of Lord Buddha. In her speech, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman said that medical tourism and Heal in India will be promoted in partnership with the private sector along with capacity building and easier visa norms. 

Gyan Bharatam Mission

Finance Minister said that documentation and conservation of our manuscript heritage with academic institutions, museums, libraries and private collectors will be undertaken to cover more than 1 crore manuscripts. She added that Government will set up a National Digital Repository of Indian knowledge systems for knowledge sharing.

Tourism as employment-led growth to be advanced via state partnerships, incentives, skill programmes and infrastructure facilitation. The Budget designates tourism as a sector for employment-led growth and advances measures including hospitality skill-development, targeted credit for homestays, improved connectivity, streamlined e-visa facilities, and performance-linked incentives to states. It proposes developing top tourist destinations in partnership with states through a challenge mode, with states providing land for key infrastructure and inclusion of hotels in the infrastructure HML. Medical tourism and the Heal in India initiative will be promoted with private-sector partnership and easier visa norms. The Gyan Bharatam Mission will document, conserve, digitise manuscript heritage and establish a National Digital Repository.