Identifying the tourism sector as an engine of development and a catalyst to economic prosperity, the State government is doing all it can to attract investors, both native and overseas.
The government’s efforts seem to be yielding the desired result with investors pouring money into the State tourism projects. “Investments to the tune of Rs. 12,000 crore have been committed and projects worth more than Rs.1,000 crore have already been grounded at various places,” Andhra Pradesh Tourism and Culture Principal Secretary Neerabh Kumar Prasad told The Hindu .
Going by Mr. Prasad’s claims, the government has already exceeded the target to attract investments of about Rs.10,000 crore by 2020. The new tourism policy announced by the government envisages investments of Rs. 10,000 crore and creation of 5 lakh jobs by encouraging private sector participation by 2020. The government intends to treat all projects with an investment outlay of Rs. 200 crore and above as mega tourism projects, and these would be entitled for additional concession on a case-to-case basis. “Currently, our focus is on two aspects - bringing in as many investments as possible and making our products saleable. For investment promotion, we are targeting the private sector,” said Mr. Prasad.
The State has been divided into five major tourism hubs — Visakhapatnam, Rajamahendravaram-Konaseema, Vijayawada-Amaravati, Tirupati-Rayalaseema.
Tourism circuits, encompassing key aspects like wildlife, religion, and heritage, will be created to highlight the specialities of the regions. “There are a lot of gaps in the current services, which we’ll have to fill,” admits Mr. Prasad.
The tour and travel industry, he says, is being engaged in a big way.
“Bringing in all the stakeholders, we have identified AP experts and constituted an ‘APEX’ team. The idea is like this: “We invest in them to make them experts and they market our products,” Mr. Prasad explains.
Niche tourism is yet another thrust area, he says.
Bhavani Island
When asked about the proposed development of the Bhavani Island in Vijayawada, Mr. Prasad said small components were being added in a phased manner.
“But the final development plan will be in synergy with the Amaravati master plan.”
