Gandhinagar: In a major push to establish Gujarat as a premier global destination for religious and modern tourism, the State Government has announced 2026 as “Gujarat Tourism Year.” The initiative comes against the backdrop of 2025–26, during which more than 22 crore tourists visited the state.

Grand Campaigns: Weddings and Spiritual Pride

A unique highlight of the budget is the launch of the “Wed in Gujarat” campaign, aimed at leveraging the state’s cultural grandeur and historical traditions to position it as a premier wedding destination.

Additionally, under the vision of “One State: One Global Destination,” Somnath will be developed as a global tourism centre with a provision of ₹20 crore, along with the year-long “Somnath Swabhiman Parv” celebration.

Major Investment in Pilgrimage and Iconic Sites

The budget prioritises the development of sacred corridors and world-class landmarks:

• Ambaji Master Plan: ₹300 crore has been earmarked for the comprehensive development of the Ambaji pilgrimage site under a new corridor master plan.

• Statue of Unity: ₹236 crore is proposed for infrastructure enhancement at the globally renowned monument.

• Yatradham Development: ₹550 crore has been allocated to the Pavitra Yatradham Vikas Board for upgrading facilities across multiple pilgrimage destinations.

• Spiritual Infrastructure: ₹20 crore has been provided to create facilities for devotees visiting Ambaji, Dakor, Dwarka, Mata no Madh (Ashapura), the Mahashivratri fair at Girnar, and pilgrims undertaking the Maa Narmada Parikrama along the Narmada Parikrama Path.

Heritage, Beaches, and Modern Infrastructure

The government is also focusing on heritage conservation and coastal tourism:

• National Maritime Heritage Museum: Under construction at Lothal, the project has received ₹95 crore for basic infrastructure and training of 1,000 tourist guides.

• Beach Tourism: Somnath and Shivrajpur beaches will be upgraded with world-class amenities, while ₹60 crore is proposed to promote tourism in the Visavada–Porbandar region.

• MICE Tourism: To attract high-value business tourism, ₹100 crore has been allocated for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) infrastructure in Rajkot, Jamnagar, Junagadh and Bhavnagar.

• Eco-Tourism: ₹20 crore is proposed for the development of eco-tourism, marine tourism and island tourism.

Strengthening Connectivity

To ensure seamless travel, the budget outlines major investments in transport infrastructure:

• Airports: ₹95 crore has been allocated for a new greenfield airport at Dahod and expansion of airports in Surat, Vadodara, Bhavnagar, Porbandar and Ankleshwar.

• Air Connectivity: ₹78 crore has been provided as Viability Gap Funding to connect smaller towns and interior regions with major cities and tourist destinations.

• UDAN Scheme: ₹20 crore has been earmarked to enhance regional air connectivity under the Government of India’s UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme.

• Modern Bus Ports: Iconic, state-of-the-art bus terminals and multi-modal transport hubs will be developed at Somnath and Ambaji with a provision of ₹447 crore.

By combining cultural preservation with modern connectivity and infrastructure development, the Gujarat Budget 2026–27 aims to position the state as a world-class travel and tourism hub. DeshGujarat