Stakeholders rue Budget has no immediate benefits for Mysuru tourism

Tourism is a major economic driver of Mysuru, and stakeholders rue that the budget missed out on promoting the sector in a big way.
| Photo Credit: M.A. SRIRAM

Stakeholders in Mysuru’s tourism sector believe that the Union Budget 2025-26 focuses too much on generalities but lacks destination-specific projects to enhance the travel sector in the region.

Though there is a general perception that an increase in the income tax exemption limit will put more money in the hands of the people and will drive tourism, issues specific to the tourism sector have not been addressed.

“The budget has belied our expectations as there is not enough thrust on the sector which has the potential to generate maximum number of employment with minimum investment,” said C. Narayana Gowda, president, Mysuru Hotel Owners’ Association.

Though the budget intends to develop 50 tourist destinations in the country, it is insignificant for a country of India’s size which has so much to offer by way of destinations, he said.

Also, the kind of development envisaged in these destinations, and the criteria based on which the 50 destinations will be selected, etc. is not yet clear, said Mr. Gowda.

The association said developing a one-off destination in any State will not effectively promote tourism. The project will significantly boost tourism if at least 10 destinations are promoted in each State.

The general perception is that the Budget has spelled out broad national initiatives for infrastructure but there were no specific mentions of enhancing infrastructure in cities like Mysuru, where tourism is one of the main economic drivers.

However, officials countered this view and pointed out that Mysuru is already a beneficiary under Swadesh Darshan-2 and has received funding to the tune of ₹70 crore. Similar destination-specific funding may be announced once the policies outlined in the budget are implemented.

The hospitality sector in Mysuru relies on tourism due to a lack of major industrial activity in the region. As a result, occupancy rates are primarily dependent on tourists than on business travellers unlike in major cities. Hence, the stakeholders wanted industry status for the hospitality and tourism sector.

“This will open up avenues for institutional finance at concessional rates and will help us get a subsidy, etc. but this long pending demand is yet to be accepted by the government’’, said Mr. Gowda.

K.S. Nagapati, a tourism expert, said the Union Budget is a broad statement of policies, and there will always be a cascading impact on everyone.

He said tourism in Mysuru depends on a well-trained workforce, and the budget has outlined such an initiative as it has specified that it would conduct intensive skill-development programmes for youth including hospitality management.

While Mysuru’s tourism sector may not see immediate benefits from the 2025-26 Union Budget, long-term benefits will materialise if the broad infrastructure initiatives spelled out in the budget are harnessed by the State government to benefit Mysuru and surrounding regions, he added.