Andhra Pradesh Tourism Minister seeks world-class standing for Tirupati and Visakhapatnam

Andhra Pradesh Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh on Tuesday urged Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to designate Tirupati and Visakhapatnam as world-class vacationer locations below the National Mission for Tourism.

At a gathering of State Tourism Ministers in Udaipur, Mr. Durgesh showcased Andhra Pradesh’s tourism potential and sought higher Central help to place the State amongst India’s high journey locations. He outlined achievements over the previous 15 months and thanked the Centre for its assist.

Visakhapatnam can be developed as a coastal and marine tourism hub with an oceanarium, cruise terminal, Bhogapuram International Airport, and the Bheemili–Rushikonda Corridor. Tirupati will emerge as a religious and cultural centre, that includes a Spiritual Civilisation Museum and Mythological Experience Park celebrating India’s heritage.

Referring to the Tourism Policy 2024–29, Mr. Durgesh mentioned it promotes investment-driven development below a P4 (Public–Private–People’s Partnership) mannequin. In the final 15 months, the State attracted ₹12,000 crore in tourism investments, together with 21 lodge and resort tasks by manufacturers akin to Taj, ITC, Oberoi, Hilton, and Lemon Tree, creating 18,000 jobs and drawing ₹4,500 crore in direct funding.

Plans embody 10,000 homestays in rural and tribal areas to spice up native participation. The goal is to boost tourism’s share of Gross Value Added from 4.6% to eight% by 2029, develop 50,000 inns and create 5 lakh jobs.

Mr. Durgesh mentioned Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s imaginative and prescient integrates tourism tasks throughout religious, coastal, eco, well being, cultural, and journey segments — from Tirumala Hills and Visakhapatnam seashores to Araku Valley, Godavari backwaters, and Amaravati’s Buddhist heritage websites.

APTDC Managing Director Amrapali Kata mentioned focus areas below the National Mission embody connectivity, infrastructure, signage, sanitation, electrical transport, and digital customer techniques, including that the State is prepared with land parcels, funding proposals, expert manpower, and a robust governance framework to speed up development.