AP sets target of Rs 25,000 cr investment in tourism sector

Vijayawada: Minister for tourism, culture and cinematography Kandula Durgesh said the Andhra Pradesh govern-ment is making efforts to attract investment of Rs 25,000 crore in tourism sector and is explaining the objectives of the government to the investors.

Durgesh addressed the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Stakeholders Conference at a hotel here on Tuesday. The state government conducted the conference in association with the department of AP tourism, AP Tourism Development Corporation, CII, AP Chambers and others.

Investors from across the state attended the one-day conference. The minister said the state govern-ment will announce the new tourism policy with objective of attracting investment of Rs 25,000 crore. He said AP has coastline of 970 km, natural resources, rich culture and heritage and it is the ideal desti-nation for the investment.

He said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan have proposed to develop world-class infrastructure facilities in the state to promote tourism. The objective of NDA alliance gov-ernment is to make AP No 1 in the country in tourism sector.

He said the government has set objective of increasing hotel rooms from 3,500 to 10,000 in the state in the next five years. The government decided to promote adventure tourism, eco tourism, village tour-ism and agri tourism, he added.

Durgesh alleged that tourism sector was neglected under the YSRCP rule for five years. He informed that AP is in third place in domestic tourism and mainly depending on the temple tourism

APTDC managing director K Amrapali said Buddhist sites would be developed to attract foreign tourists to Andhra Pradesh. She said five tourist places — Rajamahendravaram, Srisailam, Amaravati, Gandikota and Vizag — will be developed as major tourist destinations.

Andhra Chambers of Commerce and industry president Potluri Bhaskara Rao said the chambers would extend support to the government and tourism industry.

AP Hotels Association president R V Swamy urged the government to reduce the power bills and give subsidy to the hotels. He said big hotels are paying lakhs of rupees as power bills. There is good response from the investors to spend on construction of hotels in the state, he added.

APTDC chairman Nukasani Balaji, CII AP chairman Murali Krishna, V Vinay Chand, secretary to the Government of AP and others spoke on the occasion.

Investors expressed their views on the prospects of tourism and sought the co-operation of the gov-ernment.