By Md Ilyas

Copyright deccanchronicle

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government is rolling out ambitious plans for marine tourism development, according to tourism, culture, and cinematography minister Kandula Durgesh. He said the sector is being placed on a growth track under the leadership of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. Speaking in the Assembly on Saturday, Durgesh detailed the initiatives taken over the past 15 months to revive the tourism sector, which he said had suffered setbacks due to the “short-sighted decisions” of the previous government. He revealed that the government had signed MoUs with 103 companies, attracting investments worth ₹ 10,644 crore into the tourism sector. Of these, projects worth ₹3,887 crore have already commenced, resulting in the creation of 2,848 hotel rooms. Currently, Andhra Pradesh has 19,500 hotel rooms, with a target to scale this number up to 50,000 by 2029. We are focusing on hotels, resorts, theme parks, eco and adventure tourism projects, as well as wellness retreats to make AP a global tourism hub,” he said, adding that employment generation is being prioritised with special incentives under the state’s 2024–29 tourism policy,” he said. The minister announced that plans are in place to develop Motupalli and the historic Veerabhadra Swamy temple as tourist hubs, while also enhancing connectivity and amenities at nearby beaches. He assured that district-level action plans, under the collector’s supervision, would be launched to expedite basic infrastructure development in coastal areas. Chirala MLA Madduluri Malakondayya expressed satisfaction over the minister’s response to marine tourism along the Chirala coast. Assembly speaker Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu suggested studying the successful Goa tourism model and replicating it in Andhra Pradesh. The minister promised to constitute a committee for this purpose. Regarding rural and adventure tourism, Kandula Durgesh announced the establishment of 10,000 home-stays in rural and tribal areas, which he said would enhance livelihoods, provide visitors with an authentic cultural experience, and promote eco-tourism. The minister added, “Caravan tourism is also being introduced to serve regions where hotels are not immediately feasible. Recent initiatives include hop-on hop-off double-decker buses in Visakhapatnam and adventure sports projects across coastal belts such as Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, and Chirala.”