Budget 2026 Bets On Tourism With Focus On Buddhist Circuit And Revamp Of 15 Heritage Sites

Last Updated:February 01, 2026, 12:28 IST

Union Budget has placed tourism at the centre of its employment and growth strategy, highlighting its role in job creation, foreign exchange earnings, local economic development.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman shows the digital tablet, enclosed in a traditional red 'bahi-khata' style pouch, before Union Budget presentation on February 1, 2026. (PTI)

In Budget 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced plans to develop 15 archaeological sites into immersive cultural destinations, marking a shift from sightseeing to experience-led tourism. The aim is to preserve India’s civilisational heritage while making it more accessible, engaging, and economically viable for domestic and international travellers.

Key sites proposed for development include Raigiri, Lothal, Sarnath, and Hastinapur. The focus will be on creating vibrant experiential destinations through better visitor infrastructure, interpretation centres, curated cultural experiences, and improved connectivity. 

The initiative is also expected to generate local employment, strengthen heritage conservation, and present ancient sites as living narratives rather than static monuments.

Focus on Buddhist Circuit in Northeastern States

The Finance Minister also announced initiatives to develop the Buddhist circuit in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Mizoram, and Tripura, with special attention to promoting heritage tourism linked to Buddhist traditions in these regions.

Tourism a major winner in Budget 2026

Tourism emerged as a major sector winner in the Budget. The Union Budget has placed tourism at the centre of its employment and growth strategy, highlighting its role in job creation, foreign exchange earnings and local economic development.

The Finance Minister proposed setting up a National Institute of Hospitality to bridge the gap between academia, industry, and government.

A pilot scheme will be launched in collaboration with the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) to train 10,000 tourist guides across 20 major tourism sites through a 12-week programme.

“10,000 tourist guides to be trained," the Finance Minister said, proposing a strong push towards upskilling in tourism and hospitality.

Several additional steps were announced to strengthen tourism infrastructure and experiences across the country:

1. Introduction of mountain trains in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh
2. Development of girls’ hostels through the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) model
3. Telescope upgrades to promote and scale astro-tourism
4. Upskilling of tourist guides and enhancement of trekking experiences in selected states
5. Introduction of a Turtle Trail and a Birdwatching Trail alongside the development of the 15 archaeological sites

7 High-Speed Rail Corridors Proposed

The Union Budget outlined plans to develop seven high-speed rail corridors to promote environmentally sustainable passenger transport and strengthen regional connectivity. These corridors are expected to reduce travel time, lower emissions, and link major economic centres.

The proposed routes are Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi, and Varanasi-Siliguri.

“In order to promote environmentally sustainable passenger systems, we will develop seven high-speed rail corridors between cities as growth connectors," the Finance Minister said while listing the routes.

News business Budget 2026 Bets On Tourism With Focus On Buddhist Circuit And Revamp Of 15 Heritage Sites

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