Airhostesses to peddle Araku coffee on flights

Amaravati: Araku Valley Coffee will be offered to passengers of SpiceJet in Andhra Pradesh to build a brand for the coffee grown by local tribals. Along with the coffee, the Tourism department of AP will provide two coupons on each flight every day. Those who win the coupons will get a chance to visit major tourist spots in Andhra Pradesh, offered by the Tourism Development Corporation.

Airhostesses will provide details of the shade-grown coffee specialities which is grown organically to the passengers. The 90-day campaign will cover all the 36 SpiceJet flights operating from Andhra Pradesh, Tourism Minister Bhuma Akhila Priya revealed to The Hans India.

In addition, another campaign will be taken up to promote tourism by painting places of tourist interests on selected flights. Lord Venkateswara Swamy portrait would be painted on flights landing at Tirupati, picturesque Vizag coast on flights landing at Visakhapatnam and so on.

Akhila Priya explained that these initiatives would help in promotion of AP tourism on a largescale across the country as well as abroad.

Stating that there was not much of a focus on tourism post bifurcation, Akhila Priay said that a new tourism policy would be prepared to give boost to this sector. She explained that they would reduce the fee on land for the developers from present 2 per cent to 1 per cent on market value.

The government would extend the lease holding period from present 33 years to 66 years or 99 years. This initiative will attract the tourism developers to the state. A majority of the developers were not willing to come to the state because of inappropriate policy and insufficient incentives, she said.

The Minister informed that they proposed to construct a ropeway at Gandikota with an estimated amount of Rs 3 crore. The Tourism department will be organising Narasimhaswamy festival at Ahobilam in Kurnool district by end of next month, she said.

By: Sambasiva Rao M