Context:
The Union Budget 2025-26 presents significant measures to promote tourism as a driver of employment-led growth and preserve India’s rich cultural heritage.
Key Announcements
Tourism as an Employment Sector
- Skill Development
- Intensive training programs will be organized for youth, with a focus on hospitality management.
- Homestay through MUDRA Loans
- Fund will be arranged for homestays, and this way, small scale tourism ventures would be encouraged.
- Facilitating Tourism connectivity
- Ease of travel and connecting tourists to other destinations will be enhanced.
- E-visa Facilities
- The e-Visa will be streamlined with the intention to ease international tourism.
- Performance-based Incentives
- There will be an incentive scheme depending on the performances of states to boost tourism.
Development of Main Tourist Sites
- 50 Top Destinations
- The top 50 tourist places in India are to be developed in a challenge mode with the states.
- State Supported Infrastructure
- The states will support the country by giving the land for infrastructure projects, like hotels included in the infrastructure HML.
- Spiritual and Religious Destinations
- Special thrust will be on spiritual and religious destinations, particularly Lord Buddha-related destinations.
- Medical Tourism
- Medical tourism will be promoted under the “Heal in India” initiative, with private sector partnerships, capacity building, and simplified visa norms.
Gyan Bharatam Mission
- Preservation of Knowledge Heritage
- The documentation and conservation of India’s manuscript heritage will be undertaken in collaboration with academic institutions, museums, and private collectors.
- National Digital Repository
- A National Digital Repository of Indian knowledge systems will be created to facilitate knowledge sharing.
Conclusion
The Budget supports tourism development, with the aim of generating huge employment and promoting both domestic and international tourism while sustaining cultural preservation through the Gyan Bharatam Mission. An integrated approach will thus be undertaken, leveraging rich history, spiritual tourism, and expanding medical tourism sectors of India for sustainable growth.
