hief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is keen on transforming tourism sector as a revenue-generating segment by promoting it in a big way through a mission mode.
As part of his plans, Mr. Naidu will launch the Tourism Mission Document at a hotel in the city on Monday. The Tourism Mission is a sub-mission of the Service Sector Mission that comprises the seven key missions of the State government.
“The new tourism policy has been formulated by taking into confidence all stakeholders and tourism experts such as travel agents, tour operators, hoteliers, resort owners, architects, consultants and other private investors,” R. Amarendra Kumar, Executive Director (Projects), AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), told a press conference here on Saturday.
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The Mission Document highlights emerging tourism trends, challenges that lie ahead, growth projections, contribution of tourism to the economy, objectives of the Mission, strategic intervention and roadmap to achieve the objectives.
Mr. Amarendra Kumar said important tourism themes had been identified based on the inherent strengths of Andhra Pradesh besides proposals of development on ‘Hub and Spoke’ model in key locations.
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Equal emphasis would be laid on marketing and brand-building, strengthening governance and institutional framework and capacity-building for generating adequately-skilled manpower in the tourism sector, he added. The ED said for effective implementation of the mission roadmap and monitoring its progress, the government has constituted leadership teams – Mission Governing Body (MGB) and Mission Support Unit (MSU), which would function under the leadership of the Chief Minister and the Principal Secretary, Tourism, to provide guidance.
Mr. Amarendra Kumar said the new Tourism Policy (2015-20), reflects the vision of the government to achieve Swarnandhra Pradesh.
“AP is on the threshold of evolving as the most preferred tourist destination in the country as the State offers myriad experiences to tourists and multifarious opportunities to investors. The new proactive policy, coupled with abundant opportunities will place Andhra Pradesh on world tourism map,” he said. APTDC Divisional Manager V.V.S. Gangaraju and Muthavarapu Murali Krishna and Bhaskar Rao of Andhra Pradesh Chamber of Commerce were also present.
The new tourism policy has been formulated by taking into confidence all stakeholders, tourism experts and private investors.
R. Amarendra Kumar, Executive Director (Projects), APTDC