Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled an ambitious tourism package in Budget 2026, including a new national hospitality institute, a pilot to upskill 10,000 guides, heritage digitization, and eco-friendly mountain trail development
Finance Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman announced a sweeping tourism-focused agenda in the
Union Budget 2026, beginning with the creation of a National Institute of Hospitality by upgrading the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology.
Designed to serve as a bridge between academia, industry and
government, the institute aims to strengthen India’s services economy and expand foreign exchange earnings. As part of a major capacity-building push, Sitharaman launched a pilot scheme to upgrade the skills of 10,000 tourist guides across 20 iconic destinations, offering a structured 12-week hybrid training programme developed in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Management.
New opportunities
She also unveiled a national digital destination registry to comprehensively document cultural, spiritual and heritage sites, paving the way for new opportunities for researchers, historians, content creators and technology partners.
Sitharaman emphasised India’s strong potential in adventure and ecotourism, announcing plans to build ecologically sustainable mountain trails in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Araku Valley in the Eastern Ghats, and Pothigai Malai in the Western Ghats. The government will also upgrade 15 archaeological sites into major cultural destinations, reinforcing India’s heritage tourism ecosystem. Additionally, the budget outlined a creative-skilling push through the establishment of ABGC content-creator labs in 1,500 schools and 500 colleges, aiming to nurture a new generation of storytellers capable of amplifying India’s tourism narrative at home and abroad.
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