Poulomi Deb

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.S