By DC Correspondent
Copyright deccanchronicle
Vijayawada: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday said his government is determined to transform Andhra Pradesh into the country’s leading tourism hub by 2027, while leveraging the state’s natural, cultural and spiritual wealth to generate revenue and employment. Calling tourism a necessity for Swarna Andhra, the CM said the state currently has eight per cent growth in the sector. His aim is to raise it to 20 per cent in the coming years. Speaking at the World Tourism Day programme at Tummalapalli Kalakshetram in Vijayawada, Chandrababu Naidu said tourism has played a crucial role in shaping national economies across the globe, with earnings up to ₹2.6 trillion. Compared to those nations, India has vast untapped potential, particularly in Andhra Pradesh. The Chief Minister recalled that tourism had once been synonymous with temple visits. But it is now a global driver of transformation. “Today, the only sustainable sector is tourism. While Indians are travelling abroad, no other country in the country has as many tourism opportunities as we have in AP,” he remarked. Chandrababu Naidu said, “The coalition government, soon after assuming office, extended industrial status to tourism projects in the state to attract investments. So far, projects worth ₹10,600 crore have come in. Over the next three years, the government plans to add 10,000 homestays and 50,000 hotel rooms across Araku, Paderu, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Rayalaseema and other regions.” The CM announced that special experience centres showcasing Andhra’s culture and traditions are being developed. Temple tourism, eco-tourism, wedding destinations at Tirumala and Annavaram, and grand events at spiritual centres on the lines of Kumbh melas will be introduced. He mentioned that Dasara celebrations are being promoted to place Vijayawada alongside Mysuru and Kolkata as the festival cities. Pointing to natural wonders in the state, Chandrababu Naidu compared Gandikota to the Grand Canyon of the US. He said certain regions in AP could be developed like the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. He stated that plans are underway to execute tourism projects under the PPP mode. He said health tourism, culinary tourism, Araku coffee promotion, Konaseema temple circuits, and heritage festivals around Kuchipudi dance would add new dimensions to AP tourism. Taking a swipe at the previous government, the Chief Minister said ₹450 crore of public money had been wasted by constructing a palace at Rushikonda, which could otherwise have generated employment for lakhs of people if invested effectively in tourism. Earlier, Naidu flagged off a fleet of tourism caravans, interacted with Kerala houseboat operators, and put in place the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 foundation stone. He also unveiled the AP Tourism Policy guidelines, inaugurated Bapatla Golden Sand Beach virtually, and launched the AP Tourism Home Stay Portal. In a virtual meet, he interacted with home-stay owners from Araku, Paderu, Asilmetta (Visakhapatnam), and Malikipuram (Konaseema) before presenting the State Tourism Excellence Awards. Those who participated in the event included Tourism minister Kandula Durgesh, Health minister Satyakumar Yadav, Vijayawada Central MLA Bonda Uma Maheswara Rao, Swachhandhra Corporation chairman Kommareddy Pattabhiram, AP Hotels Association president R.V. Swamy, State Creativity and Culture Council chairperson Podapati Tejaswini, and NTR and Bapatla district collectors Dr. G. Lakshmisha and V. Vinod Kumar.
