Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday said Amaravati had vast potential for tourism development and it would be groomed as an international tourism hub.
Vast potential
Addressing a meeting that marked the valediction of a three-day air show at Punnami Ghat on the banks of the Krishna here, Mr. Naidu said Andhra Pradesh was in the forefront in tourism development, happiness index, ease of doing business and GSDP. He said the capital city of Amaravati would be one of the best places to live in.
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Regardless of the help from the Centre, the State would go ahead with the development projects and continue to do well as it had been doing so far.
Pointing to the fact that the Tourism Department had organised three big events in quick succession – Social Media Summit on November 9 and 10, Amaravati F1H2O Grand Prix from November 16 to 18 and the air show from November 23 to 25, he said people of the region had the opportunity to enjoy these events with family and friends. He said the State had vast potential to develop tourist projects that would in turn not only bring investments but also generate employment opportunities for local youth. Growth of the hotel industry and other segments was directly linked to the tourism development, he added. Mr. Naidu said the aerial feats performed by the pilots were so awe-inspiring that he could not stop himself from wishing to be a pilot.
Happening destinationADVERTISEMENT
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He said the series of big-ticket events hosted in Amaravati was a proof of its evolution as the new capital emerging as a happening destination.
Organised by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority (APTA), in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the air show witnessed a five-member team of Global Stars from the UK perform aerial feats. The pilots, Mark Jefferies, Tom Cassells, Chris Burkett, Steve Carver and Michael Pickin, each of them with 30-40 years of flying experience, had flown more than 100 types of aircraft and won aerobatic championships.
The uniqueness of the Amaravati air show was that it happened on the banks of the Krishna against the general practice of most such shows happening at airports.
Ministers D. Umamaheswara Rao and K. Ravindra, MP Kesineni Srinivas, ZP chairperson G.Anuradha, Mayor Koneru Sridhar, Secretary (I & PR) B. Ramanjaneyulu, Tourism Secretary M.K. Meena, APTA CEO Himanshu Shukla, Collector B. Lakshmikantham, Police Commissioner Ch. Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, Municipal Commissioner J. Nivas, and Joint Collector II P. Babu Rao were present.