Tourism Boost! 50 Destinations to Be Developed, 3 Greenfield Airports Announced

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the first full budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third term in Parliament. She talked about developing 50 tourist destinations in the country with the participation of the states.

The Finance Minister said that “Under the UDAN regional connectivity, the dream of 1.5 crore people to travel by plane has been fulfilled. 88 airports have been added. The scheme of this sector will be revised. Regional connectivity will be increased to 120 new destinations. Crores of people will get a chance to travel by plane. 3 green field airports will be given in Bihar, which will be separate from the project to increase the capacity of Patna's Bihta airport.”

While presenting the budget, Union Finance Minister Sitharaman said that "The government will develop 50 tourist destinations with the participation of states. Skill development programs will be organized for hospitality management institutes for employment-driven development. Mudra loans for home stays, travel and connectivity will be improved. E-visa will be further promoted with exemption in visa fees. Medical tourism and health benefits will be promoted. There is a budget of 20 thousand crores for research, development and innovation."

The Finance Minister also made a big announcement for the insurance sector. He said, "FDI for the insurance sector will be increased from 74 percent to 100 percent. This facility will be for those companies which will invest the entire premium in India."

He also mentioned a new action plan for toys. He said, “A national action plan will be made to make the country a big center for toys. We will develop clusters. An eco-system will be created for skill and manufacturing. This will produce high quality, unique, innovative and long-lasting toys.”

The Finance Minister also announced digital empowerment of schools and PHCs. He said that all government secondary schools and primary health centres will be provided broadband connectivity to ensure better access to digital learning resources.