Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a slew of measures to boost tourism in India. In her budget speech on Saturday, Sitharaman announced that the government will develop 50 tourist sites in partnership with states and also extend Mudra loans to homestays.
In efforts to boost tourism in the country, Sitharaman said medical tourism will be promoted in partnership with the private sector. Sitharaman announced that medical tourism will be promoted under the ¡®Heal in India¡¯ initiative.
Sonam Garg Sharma, the founder of Medical Linkers said the focus on Medical Tourism could be transformative, not just for the tourism industry, but also for the healthcare infrastructure.?
"The Union Budget¡¯s focus on healthcare and tourism is a transformative step for India's growing medical tourism sector. The ¡®Heal in India¡¯ initiative, coupled with a ?20,000 crore allocation for medical tourism, reinforces India¡¯s position as a global hub for affordable and high-quality medical care. These developments will not only boost medical tourism but also contribute to India¡¯s economic growth by attracting more international patients and healthcare investments," she said.
The FM also announced that the government will give special focus to destinations related to the life and times of Lord Buddha.
In an attempt to promote international tourism, the FM announced that e-visas will be provided for select tourist groups.
Sitharaman also announced measures to ease travel to key tourist destinations.
This includes the launch of a modified UDAN scheme to improve regional connectivity. Sitharaman said that the scheme will add 120 new destinations and carry 4 crore additional passengers in the next 10 years.
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