HBI Staff | Mumbai 
The Union Ministry of Tourism has set aside a meagre INR 3 crore for overseas promotion of India for its ‘Incredible India’ campaign, shrinking the allocation by 97% from last year’s INR 100 crore, as per the Budget outlay announced yesterday.
Last year, the Budget slashed overseas tourism promotion expenditure by a staggering amount, having spent just INR 15.89 crore, only to rise somewhat in FY24 to INR 100 crore. It spent INR 89 crore during 2021-22 from its allocated INR 524 crore.
Moreover, the Ministry has lowered its Budget estimate from last year’s INR 2,400 crore to INR 2,080.03 crore for FY25. More than two thirds of the FY25 allocation, has been kept aside for its Swadesh Darshan scheme. This scheme, set up in 2014-15, provides financial assistance to state governments to develop tourism infrastructure.
Alongside, the Prashad Darshan scheme has been allocated a similar amount as last year, at INR 240 crore.
