Finance Minister said that the government will build 17 iconic sites to encourage the arrival of tourists in India. Presenting her maiden budget and the first of the Modi 2.0 government, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said that the government will build 17 iconic sites to encourage the arrival of tourists in India. She said that these 17 “iconic sites” will be transformed into world-class destinations to boost the tourist influx. By such developmental plans, the government wants to encourage the arrival of tourists in the country.

During her budget speech, while pointing out the role of tourism in an economy, the finance minister said, “One hundred new clusters will be set up in 2019-20 to enable 50,000 artisans to come into the economic value chain.” She added that the government will take measures to ensure that the rich tribal culture of the country is preserved.

Sitharaman emphasised on the need of technological infusion in tourism and said that digital tribal repository will be created, in which photos, videos, details of origin, education, lifestyle, skill sets, traditional arts and other anthropological information about the tribe and tourist site will be stored. She also said that in order to obtain patient from traditional artisans and creative persons, the government will launch a mission to integrate them with the global market.