17 iconic sites will be transformed into world-class destinations to boost tourism

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said 17 "iconic sites" will be transformed into world-class destinations to give a boost to the tourism sector.

In her maiden Budget speech, Ms. Sitharaman said the 17 model sites will be built by the government to encourage the arrival of tourists in the country.

"One hundred new clusters will be set up in 2019-20 to enable 50,000 artisans to come into the economic value chain," she said.

The finance minister said the government will take measures to ensure that the rich tribal culture of the country is preserved.

Ms. Sitharaman said a digital tribal repository will be created, in which photos, videos, details of origin, education, lifestyle, skill sets, traditional arts and other anthropological information will be stored.

"The government will launch a mission to integrate traditional artisans and creative persons with the global market to obtain patents for them," she said.