Centre responded positively to Tourism Bhavan project at Amaravati, says A.P. Minister Kandula Durgesh

Andhra Pradesh Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh on Tuesday asked the officials to broaden their outreach and promote the State’s tourism destinations by conducting road shows in cities such as Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai.

Addressing a review meeting, Mr. Durgesh said that the Centre had responded positively to the government’s plan to develop a state-of-the-art Tourism Bhavan at Amaravati.

He instructed the officials to work towards attracting investments worth ₹25,000 crore to the tourism sector and establish 50,000 hotel rooms across the State. He wanted them to explore the introduction of tent cities and igloo-style accommodations at 22 temple destinations.

Stating that the Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was supporting of Andhra Pradesh’s tourism plans, he wanted suitable proposals to be prepared for projects at Lepakshi and Lambasingi and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for another four to five projects to tap into Central government schemes like Swadesh Darshan, PRASAD ((Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive) and CBDDP (Challenge Based Destination Development Project).

Referring to his first field visit to Papikondalu, he said there was a need to develop facilities at Perantalapalli and instructed the officials to expedite arrangements.

Akhanda Godavari scheme

Pointing to the Centrally-sponsored Akhanda Godavari scheme, he said safety should be paramount on the historic Havelock Bridge. He said he would soon visit the other two Centrally-sponsored projects at Gandikota in Kadapa district and Suryalanka in Bapatla.

The Minister reviewed progress of the ongoing projects like the NTR Beach and Uppada Beach near Kakinada and ongoing works under PRASAD initiative at Simhachalam and Annavaram temples. Discussion was held on the development of a Buddhist circuit, covering Thotlakonda, Amaravati, Ghantasala and Nagarjuna Konda.

In response to his query on the progress of homestay destinations, the officials informed the Minister that 2,000 homestays had been identified. The Minister announced his plan to visit Prakasam, Nellore and Rayalaseema districts on August 5 and 6 to inspect local projects.