Tourism Minister Bhuma Akhila Priya has said the government is contemplating significant changes in the tourism policy to attract more investments and to expedite the projects for which MoUs had already been signed.
Addressing the participants at the Regional Conference of Investors and Stakeholders, organised by the A.P. Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation (AP Chambers) and the A.P. Tourism Department, here on Friday, she said there were some gaps in between the Tourism Department and the investors. She said all efforts would be made to bridge the gaps and, thereby, ensure early execution of MoUs.
There were issues like allotment of land to mega tourism projects, and an action plan was being prepared to address the issue. Technology would be used to promote tourism and certain critical policy changes, both at the State level and the central level, were necessary to give a boost to the sector, she said.
Ms. Akhila Priya said the government was focussing on promotion of tourism as it offered immense employment potential, which could not be matched by any other sector. She promised to take up the issue of relaxing Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) norms to promote beach tourism.
Secretary (Tourism) M.K. Meena said 145 MoUs relating to tourism had been signed during the past two years in the State, entailing investment of ₹10,300 crore, but till date 74 had been grounded, entailing an investment of ₹3,500 crore. The remaining were stuck in technical and financial problems and it was planned to clear the hurdles and get the projects going through the regional conferences.
Land allotment
AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) Managing Director , Himanshu Shukla explained the process of allotment of land to the tourism projects. For projects entailing an investment of above ₹200 crore, termed mega projects, and for certain special projects land would be allotted directly by the State government. For others below ₹200 crore, bidding process would be followed.