The Union Budget 2026-27 has announced plans to make Sarnath and Hastinapur a global tourism hub, training 10,000 tourist guides, digital tourism grid and hospitality upgrade, which will boost employment and economy in Uttar Pradesh.
Lucknow. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has made several important announcements towards strengthening the tourism development of Uttar Pradesh in the Union Budget 2026-27 presented in the Parliament. The budget proposes to develop historical and archaeological sites like Sarnath and Hastinapur as global tourism centres. Along with this, schemes to strengthen digital tourism, skill development and hospitality sector have also been announced, which will boost employment and economic activities in Uttar Pradesh.
Sarnath and Hastinapur will get the status of global tourism center
The Union Budget 2026-27 proposes to develop 15 major archaeological sites in the country as experience-based global tourism destinations. Two important sites of Uttar Pradesh – Sarnath and Hastinapur – have been included in this.
Sarnath located in Varanasi is a major pilgrimage site of Buddhism, where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon. Dhamekh Stupa, Chaukhandi Stupa and the lion head of Ashoka Pillar are located here, which is also the national symbol of India. Apart from this, sculptures related to Maurya, Gupta and Pala periods and remains of Buddhist monasteries have also been found here.
Hastinapur situated in Meerut district is a historical place of Mahabharata period. Pottery and archaeological remains related to Mahabharata and Harappan civilization have been found from here. Places like Pandav Tila and Karna Temple further strengthen its historical importance. Developing these two places as global tourism centers on one hand will give a boost to Purvanchal and Varanasi region, while on the other hand tourism activities will intensify in Meerut and surrounding areas in western Uttar Pradesh.
New employment opportunities for tourism sector in Budget 2026
A big announcement of the Union Budget is to train 10,000 tourist guides in collaboration with IIMs. Under this, a pilot program will be run at 20 iconic tourist places of the country. In this training, tourist guides will be taught professional skills, foreign languages and destination knowledge. In a tourism-rich state like Uttar Pradesh, this initiative will provide employment opportunities along with skill development to thousands of youth. Trained tourist guides will improve the tourist experience and strengthen the tourism image of the state.
Focus on digital tourism and hospitality skills
The establishment of the National Destination Digital Knowledge Grid has been announced in Budget 2026-27. Through this, digital documentation of tourist places related to cultural, spiritual and historical heritage of Uttar Pradesh will be done. With this, better information will be available to tourists from India and abroad on digital platforms.
Along with this, establishment of Tourism Training Center and upgrading of National Institute of Hospitality has also been announced. Through these initiatives, youth associated with tourist guides, hotel staff, travel and hospitality sectors will get modern training. This will improve the quality of tourism services and create new employment opportunities in Uttar Pradesh.
Tourism development will strengthen the economy of Uttar Pradesh
These announcements made in the Union Budget 2026-27 are going to give a new direction to the tourism sector of Uttar Pradesh. Development of historical sites, digital tourism, skill training and hospitality infrastructure will not only increase the number of tourists but will also create new sources of employment and income for the local people. This will provide long-term strength to the state’s economy.