Gandhinagar, February 18 – The Gujarat government has declared 2026 as the “Year of Gujarat Tourism” and announced a series of allocations in the 2026-27 Budget aimed at strengthening heritage, pilgrimage, and coastal tourism infrastructure across the state.
Presenting the Budget, Finance Minister Kanu Desai outlined provisions for key destinations, transport facilities, and new promotional initiatives, including the launch of a "Wed in Gujarat" campaign to position the state as a hub for wedding and destination tourism.
A sum of Rs 236 crore has been allocated for infrastructure development at the Statue of Unity.
This allocation is intended to improve visitor amenities and related facilities at the site, which remains one of the state's principal tourist attractions.
The government has also allocated Rs 95 crore for the National Maritime Heritage Museum at Lothal and for the training and deployment of 1,000 tourist guides.
This allocation aims to improve interpretation services and enhance the visitor experience at heritage locations.
For pilgrimage infrastructure, Rs 300 crore has been allocated for the Ambaji Corridor Masterplan at the Ambaji Temple.
In addition, Rs 55 crore has been set aside for facilities at the Bahucharaji Temple, Girnar, and along the Narmada Parikrama route, focusing on amenities for pilgrims and improved access.
Coastal and temple tourism projects include Rs 60 crore for development works at the Somnath Temple and Shivrajpur Beach, as well as tourism development between Visavad and Porbandar.
This allocation aims to upgrade facilities and strengthen the coastal tourism circuit.
To support increased visitor footfall, the government has allocated Rs 447 crore for the development of bus ports at Somnath and Ambaji, intended to improve connectivity and passenger amenities at major pilgrimage centres.
The tourism push is complemented by wider infrastructure spending in the Budget, including substantial allocations for roads and public transport, which are expected to support access to major destinations during the Gujarat Tourism Year 2026.