Union Budget 2025: Reactions from the Travel and Hospitality Sector

Union Budget 2025

Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2025-26 in Parliament on February 1, 2025. She unveiled plans to develop 50 tourist destinations, boosting the tourism budget to INR 2,541.06 crore, focusing on employment-led growth. We bring a summary of the post-budget reactions from the travel and hospitality industry.

Hiring in Travel, Healthcare and Aviation

Balasubramanian A, Senior VP and Business Head at TeamLease said: “The Finance Minister’s announcements will give a strong push to India’s tourism, healthcare, and aviation sectors, creating jobs and driving economic growth…” (Translation: This reflects a significant advance in various sectors associated with tourism and healthcare.)

Performance-Linked Incentives for States

Hari Ganapathy, Co-founder of Pickyourtrail expressed: “The Union Budget 2025-26 signals a long-term vision for making India a more seamless and traveler-friendly destination…” (Translation: The statement highlights the focus on improving travel experiences in India.)

Strengthening Regional Tourism

Dharamveer Singh Chouhan, Co-founder & CEO of Zostel remarked: “We appreciate the government’s continued commitment to strengthening regional tourism and connectivity in India.” (Translation: This underscores the importance of regional tourism development in India.)

Inclusion of Hotels in Destinations

K Syama Raju, President of FHRAI added: “The plan to develop the top 50 tourism destinations is a major initiative that will attract visitors and benefit local communities.” (Translation: The initiative aims at boosting tourism infrastructure significantly.)

Comments on E-Visas

Mohak Nahta, Founder and CEO of Atlys added: “Streamlining visa access has consistently been a key driver of tourism growth…” (Translation: Simplifying visa processes is crucial for enhancing tourism.)

Conclusion

Overall, these responses reflect a positive outlook from industry leaders regarding the Union Budget 2025’s impact on the travel and hospitality sectors.