Tourism policy 2020-25 aims at attracting investors: Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao

Visakhapatnam: Five-star and seven-star hotels in the State will be developed as mega tourism projects, said Tourism Minister M Srinivasa Rao.

Unveiling 'Andhra Pradesh Tourism Policy 2020-2025' in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, the Minister said each project will be developed investing Rs 300 crore to Rs 400 crore.

Defining the AP Tourism policy as an effective tool to attract investors, the Minister said, "The State is endowed with abundant natural resources and it is one of the main advantages to attract both national and international tourists. More number of investors will come forward to invest in Andhra Pradesh in the days to come."

Acknowledging the fact that the coronavirus pandemic has a telling impact on the tourism sector, Sriniavasa Rao said, "But, surprisingly, 60 per cent occupancy has been registered in various facilities in recent days in AP, particularly during weekends."

In about one to three months, permissions pertaining to the new projects will be sought and streamlined, the Minister assured.

As a part of the new tourism policy, the Minister said a restart package has been introduced to extend support to the low-budget hotels and help them tide over the pandemic-induced economic crisis. About Rs 200 crore has been allotted for the purpose, Srinivasa Rao shared with the media.

Of the total loan sanctioned in this regard, the Minister reiterated that 4.5 per cent of interest will be borne by the State government. "Through the restart package, small and mid-segment hotels and restaurants can bounce back to life after suffering a blow post the lockdown and subsequent pandemic months," Srinivasa Rao elaborated.

Based on the natural resources available and popularity of the region, the Minister said, the Tourism Department plans to develop special circuits such as Coasta, Uttarandhra, Rayalaseema and Godavari.

To provide transport facility to the tourists, the Minister said, APSRTC buses will also be hired depending on the requirement. "More than 1 lakh people are directly linked to the tourism industry and the idea of launching the new policy is to place the tourism sector on the global map in the days to come," added Srinivasa Rao. In a major push to encourage tourist operators and guides, among others, the Tourism Minister said skill development programmes will be rolled out by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the AP State Skill Development Corporation. In support of the film industry, the Minister said, the provision of paying tax in instalments will be facilitated for the theatre operators.

With the tourism sector suffering a severe blow since March, the Minister said the segment would soon be transformed into an organising sector. Visakhapatnam MP MVV Satyanarayana, Gajuwaka MLA Tippala Nagireddy, Payakaraopeta MLA Golla Babu Rao, former MLAs Malla Vijaya Prasad and Chintalapudi Venkataramaiah, YSRCP leader Behra Bhaskara Rao and others took part in the conference.