AP Chambers lauds govt.’s initiatives to strengthen tourism sector

Minister for Tourism, Culture and Cinematography Kandula Durgesh on Thursday said the State government was implementing both short-term and long-term strategies to transform Andhra Pradesh into a globally recognised tourism destination.

Mr. Durgesh was speaking to a delegation from the Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation (AP Chambers), which met the Minister at the Secretariat and submitted a memorandum containing several key suggestions aimed at strengthening the tourism sector and attracting investments.

The AP Chambers representatives appreciated the government’s recent initiatives, particularly the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Policy 2024–29, Tourism Land Allotment Policy, operational guidelines, Beach Shack Policy and the global ‘Holiday in AP / Visit AP’ campaign. They said these measures boosted investor confidence and laid a strong foundation for economic growth.

Mr. Durgesh announced that a meeting with the tour operators and the AP Chambers representatives would be convened shortly. He also stated that a study and detailed report would be prepared in connection with the upcoming meeting of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) scheduled for September.

A special review meeting with the Tourism Department would be held in the second week of July, after which the recommendations would be placed before Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan for further guidance, he informed.

Among the key proposals submitted by the AP Chambers were the formation of a Tourism Stakeholder Advisory Council, comprising representatives from industry, hospitality, travel, aviation, logistics and commerce sectors; promotion of the ‘Visit AP’ campaign through international roadshows involving nearly three million Non-Resident Andhra people worldwide; fast-track approvals for MSME tourism projects costing up to ₹50 crore, and a single-window registration system for homestays.

The federation also proposed the development of tourism circuits such as Vijayawada–Amaravati–Suryalanka–Chirala Beach Corridor, Visakhapatnam–Araku Valley Circuit and Gandikota–Belum Caves–Yaganti Circuit, besides pursuing UNESCO recognition for Lepakshi, Gandikota and Belum Caves.

Mr. Durgesh responded positively to the proposals and assured that pending tourism clearances would be expedited and that the AP Chambers network would be fully utilised for promoting tourism packages across the State.