The State government will release the new tourism policy soon to attract more private players to invest in Andhra Pradesh, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Youth Advancement Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao said at the CII Andhra Pradesh Tourism Conclave here on Thursday.
The CII organised the conclave with the theme of ‘Restarting Tourism and Hospitality Sector- Andhra Pradesh as most preferred Destination’ in the digital mode.
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Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said Andhra Pradesh would take the lead among the State in resuming the tourism operations, after the coronavirus has affected the sector badly.
He said that tourism has grown by leaps and bounds over the years in the country, with each region contributing to its exuberance.
“Andhra Pradesh has the distinction of being a leading tourism destination in India and at present, it is the third most visited State by domestic tourists. The sector has been impacted after the outbreak of the virus, but Andhra Pradesh will continue to promote the State to attract more tourists,” said Mr. Srinivasa Rao.
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Theme-based tourism
The Minister further said the State offers unmatched tourism potential to investors and tourists and highlighted the major strengths of the A.P. Tourism with various themes related to beach and water, eco-tourism, Buddhist circuit, religion, heritage, health, spirituality and wellness.
Speaking on the occasion, Vinod Zutshi, former Tourism Secretary, Government of India and president of New Tourism Foundation, said Andhra Pradesh could take a lead in resuming the tourism activities.
“Andhra Pradesh has great locations with the advantage of long coastlines, natural bounty and pilgrim destinations.In view of COVID-19, there is a need to promote tourism with new concepts to build confidence among all the stakeholders,” he said.
Mr. Zutshi suggested that there was a need to effectively manage the supply and demand in the sector and advocated for State-level tourism summits for investors, saying that it would create a platform for investors to explore new avenues.
SOP for COVID-19
Pravin Kumar, Managing Director, Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), said that the sector is contributing significantly to the GSDP. He mentioned that the government has already put the required standard operating protocols (SOPs) to resume the tourism operations in the State.
Dilip Puri, founder and CEO, Indian School of Hospitality, D. Ramakrishna, Chairman - CII Andhra Pradesh and Managing Director, Efftronics Systems, Tarun Kakani, Co-Convenor - CII Andhra Pradesh, and others spoke on the occasion.