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Fear not if you immediately tuned out of the union government’s Budget for the year after hearing the phrase ‘tax slabs’. It wasn’t all about big numbers – Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chalked out a plan on a fresh push for tourism in the country, and if you’ve been nursing a bucket list of places to visit, this might be the news you were waiting to hear.
India's never really lacked tourists – both domestic and foreign – but the experience can, admittedly, vary widely from place to place. With domestic tourism surging since the pandemic and international arrivals steadily returning, the question of how visitors experience the country is back in focus. The Budget’s tourism proposals are framed as an attempt to fix exactly that. Here are three ways they could shape how – and where – people travel across India.
Fifteen heritage sites to be revamped
The Budget proposed that 15 archaeological sites be reimagined as ‘experiential cultural destinations’ for visitors, with curated walkways, interpretation centres, and immersive technology-aided storytelling. The Finance Minister named seven of these sites, across Gujarat, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Ladakh.
Harappan civilisation sites from the Bronze Age: The largest known settlement from the Indus Valley happens to be on this list: Rakhigarhi in Haryana. There’s also Gujarat’s Lothal, which is an old port town known for its dockyard, and Dholavira, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage city for its sophistication.
South India’s Iron Age: Adichanallur in Tamil Nadu is a village known for its burial urns, jewellery and artefacts.
The site of Buddha’s first sermon: Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh, which is already a pilgrimage site, as well as some sites in north-eastern India. The Budget proposed a plan to preserve temples, monasteries, and amenities for pilgrims in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.
The capital of the Kurus in Mahabharata: Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh is best known for its religious significance. Located in present-day Meerut, it’s also where the central, theme-defining war of the epic was said to be fought.
Ladakh’s Leh Palace: Overlooking the Indus, the 17th-century palace was home to the Namgyal dynasty until they were forced to relocate in the mid-19th century after the Dogra invasion. You’ll spot a Tibetan influence on the architecture.
New mountain trails
The Finance Minister said that plans are underway to develop ecologically sustainable mountain trails in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Araku Valley in the Eastern Ghats and Podhigai Malai in the Western Ghats.
She also listed out trails to spot animals at across coastal nesting sites, including turtle trails in Odisha, Karnataka and Kerala, and bird-watching trails in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
If your thumb leans green, these have the potential to alter your sightseeing plans, including when you plan to travel and where you plan to stay. You may even have a better shot at seeing endangered species, like the Olive Ridley turtles in Odisha, or flamingos along the Pulikat lake.
Over 10,000 tour guides to be upskilled
In a first-of-its-kind move, the Budget proposed IIM-led training for 10,000 tour guides across 20 iconic tourist sites through a ‘standardised, high-quality 12-week training course in hybrid mode’.
The sites haven’t been announced yet, but the proposal stands out. While earlier budgets prioritised tourism infrastructure and destination branding, this marks a new emphasis on consistent, officially qualified guiding across the country.
A caveat: There’s no way to determine yet when these projects will be completed. But they’re certainly game-changers in the making.