New Delhi: Experts from the tourism industry expressed mixed responses on the Union Budget, which was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. They were hopeful to get relaxation in GST on hotel booking, facilities for tour operators, and a comprehensive policy for attracting foreign tourists towards India.
Tourism expert Subhash Goel told ETV Bharat, "If you talk about the Budget for the tourism sector, I will give 40 out of 100 marks as there is nothing for tour operators in this budget. They are talking about group visas that will benefit the hospitals in medical tourism but not operators."
"Similarly, there is the UDAAN scheme where the government will increase destinations but the control over ticket prices is more important," Goel said.
Expressing a similar sentiment, another tourism expert Rakesh Roy told ETV Bharat, "We were expecting GST relaxation from this budget which is yet not to be fulfilled. The industry needs GST relief to grow properly. Except this, there are some positive things in the budget."
Union Budget 2025-26, presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday in Parliament, has identified tourism as a sector for employment-led growth.
Sitharaman said the top 50 tourist destination sites in the country will be developed in partnership with states through a challenge mode. The land for building key infrastructure including hotels will have to be provided by states and hotels in those destinations will be included in the infrastructure.
Sitharaman further said that emphasis on places of spiritual and religious significance will be given and there will be a special focus on destinations related to the life and times of Lord Buddha.
In her speech, Sitharaman said that medical tourism and Heal in India will be promoted in partnership with the private sector along with capacity building and easier visa norms.
Garish Oberoi, Honorary Treasurer of The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India told ETV Bharat, "It is a positive budget for the tourism industry as it will help to boost tourism after the development of top 50 tourist destination sites in the country which will be developed in partnership with states through a challenge mode."
"Second, the government has declared destinations under the Udaan scheme which will definitely improve tourism in the country because they will get connectivity from one tourist place to another," Oberoi said.
Facilitating employment-led growth includes organising intensive skill-development programmes for youth including hospitality management, MUDRA loans for homestays, improving ease of travel and connectivity to tourist destinations, introducing streamlined e-visa facilities and providing performance-linked incentives to states are mentioned in the budget. Some other persons engaged in the tourism sector said overall it is a good budget to boost this industry.
