varanasi union finance minister arun jaitleys decision to focus only on sarnathbodh gaya patch of buddhist circuit has been described as a masterstroke by travel and tour operators they believe that it would result in a windfall and expect a fivetime boom in their business on thursday jaitley announced that sarnathgayavaranasi buddhist circuit would be developed with worldclass tourist amenities to attract tourists from across the world the operators said that fulfillment of the announcements would fuel 15 annual growth in the tourism industry of the circuit the complete map of the buddhist circuit comprises lumbini in nepal bodh gaya vaishali and rajgir in bihar and sarnath in varanasi shravasti and kushinagar in the past union tourism ministry and tourism departments of up and bihar had tried to promote tourism in the entire circuit but in vain tour and travel operators said that the plan never took off as majority of travelers from buddhist countries were attracted to only two destinations tour operator niraj rastogi said like muslims dream of performing haj once in lifetime the buddhists dream of visiting bodh gaya and sarnath many are not keen on other destinations of the buddhist circuit in such a backdrop jaitleys announcement of creating five tourist circuits including sarnathbodh gaya buddhist circuit around specific themes in the current financial year at a cost of rs 500 crore sparked jubilation among people associated with the trade another tour operator pradeep chaurasia said demand for worldclass tourist amenities in sarnathbodh gaya circuit has been pending for long most of the tourists have high spending capacity however they avoid the circuit owing to absence of direct air connectivity pathetic condition of roads and lack of basic amenities soon after narendra modi assumed the office of prime minister many players of tourism industry in varanasi had met ministers of his cabinet to press for demand tour operators said that the circuit attracts tourists from 30 countries and 16 states of india a majority of them prefer to cook their food and avoid expensive hotels hence the tourism industry had sought setting up of places for short stay public convenience and basic facilities at two to three points between sarnath and bodh gaya