New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the Union Budget 2026-27 in Parliament, announced several initiatives aimed at strengthening India’s medical tourism, heritage, and cultural sectors, generating employment and promoting regional development.
Regional Medical Hubs
To position India as a global medical tourism destination, the Finance Minister proposed a scheme to support states in establishing five Regional Medical Hubs in partnership with the private sector. These hubs will function as integrated healthcare complexes, combining medical, educational, and research facilities. Each hub will include AYUSH centres, medical value tourism facilitation centres, diagnostic infrastructure, post-care and rehabilitation facilities, providing job opportunities for doctors, allied health professionals, and other healthcare staff.
Tourism and Hospitality Development
Highlighting the potential of tourism to generate employment and forex earnings, Sitharaman proposed upgrading the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology into a National Institute of Hospitality, serving as a bridge between academia, industry, and government.
A pilot scheme will also be launched to upskill 10,000 tourist guides across 20 iconic sites through a standardized 12-week training program in hybrid mode, in collaboration with an Indian Institute of Management.
Additionally, a National Destination Digital Knowledge Grid will be established to digitally document cultural, spiritual, and heritage sites, creating opportunities for local researchers, historians, content creators, and technology partners.
Heritage and Experiential Tourism
The Budget proposes developing 15 archaeological sites, including Lothal, Dholavira, Rakhigarhi, Adichanallur, Sarnath, Hastinapur, and Leh Palace, into vibrant cultural destinations with curated walkways, interpretation centres, and immersive storytelling technologies.
For ecologically sustainable tourism, the government will develop mountain trails in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir, Araku Valley and Podhigai Malai trails, turtle trails in coastal Odisha, Karnataka, and Kerala, and bird-watching trails along Pulikat Lake in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Focus on Purvodaya and North-Eastern States
To boost regional development, Sitharaman proposed creating five tourism destinations in the Purvodaya States, establishing an East Coast Industrial Corridor node at Durgapur, and introducing 4,000 e-buses.
For the North-Eastern region, a scheme for the development of Buddhist circuits will cover Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura, focusing on temple preservation, pilgrimage interpretation centres, connectivity, and pilgrim amenities, reflecting the area’s rich Theravada and Mahayana/Vajrayana traditions.
These initiatives are part of the government’s broader vision to promote sustainable tourism, preserve cultural heritage, and create inclusive employment opportunities, while enhancing India’s appeal as a global destination for medical, cultural, and eco-tourism.
