Centre to Prioritise Buddhist Heritage Sites in Tourism Development Push

In her Budget 2025 speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that a total of 50 tourist destinations will be developed in collaboration with states.

The collaboration will be done in challenge mode. Under it, the states will propose sites for development, and the Centre will choose them on the basis of feasibility.

Priority will be given to those locations that hold specific significance to the life and times of Lord Buddha. Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Vaishali, and Nalanda in Bihar, Sarnath and Kushinagar, Shravasti in Uttar Pradesh, and Buddhist sites located in other parts of the country are expected to benefit from it.

To ensure that tourists get affordable and quality hospitality, Sitharaman announced that MUDRA loans will be provided to those homeowners who are willing to convert their property into homestays. Places like Ayodhya, Varanasi, Prayagraj, and various other destinations have successfully implemented this model.