MUMBAI, Feb. 1 -- Trekking trails in the Himalayas and the Ghats, archaeological sites such as the Indus Valley Civilisation excavations in Gujarat and Haryana, and Buddhist sites in the northeastern states are among the schemes that the government has proposed to promote thematic tourism.

These projects will be developed under existing schemes of the ministry of tourism including the Swadesh Darshan, which is aimed at developing sustainable and responsible tourism destinations. However, the government's allocation to the Swadesh Darshan scheme has been barely changed at Rs.1,905 crore for FY27, according to the Budget 2026 documents presented on Sunday.

"Excavated landscapes will be opened to the public through curated walkways," finan...