Union Budget 2026 Boosts Adventure Tourism: States to Benefit from New Trails

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026, emphasizing a major push for adventure tourism.
• Ecologically sustainable mountain trekking trails will be developed in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, and Tamil Nadu's Pothigai Malai.
• Turtle trails are planned for coastal nesting sites in Odisha, Karnataka, and Kerala, alongside birdwatching trails at Pulicat Lake in Andhra Pradesh.
• India will host the first Big Cat Summit in 2026 under the International Big Cat Alliance, focusing on conservation.
• The budget also includes plans for 15 archaeological sites, five medical tourism hubs, and rare-earth corridors in mineral-rich states.

Why It Matters: Union Budget 2026 prioritizes adventure tourism, heritage, and conservation with specific projects across multiple states.