Two Years of Accomplishments
I ' m confident that the tourism sector will emerge as one of our strengths . However , we should ensure that our tourists have a wonderful experience in our Sunrise State of Andhra Pradesh .
- Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu
Tourism and hospitality have always been priority sectors for Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu . The residual Andhra Pradesh has benefited immensely from his commitment to tourism development during these last two years , as he sees the sector a big revenue churner .
Soon after taking over , the CM came up with a tourism policy with a target to attract an investment of Rs 10,000 crore by 2020 , but due to the potential of the State as well as the efforts of the administration , in just one year the government was successful in attracting Rs 11,493 crore , crossing its target by more than Rs 1,000 crore . This is because of the several attractive features of the new Tourism Policy which accelerated investments .
According to officials of the Tourism Department , tourism projects worth Rs 2,933 crore are already at various stages of grounding . Projects worth Rs 1,372 crore had already been grounded and another Rs 1,132 crore worth projects will be grounded in next 90 days .
Tourism contribution to GSDP increased by 7,000 cr to 40,000 cr – that is upto 8 % of GSDP . Domestic Tourist footfalls too witnessed a dramatic increase from 8.6 million in January 2015 to 36.7 million at present . International tourists rose from 11.6 thousand to 47 thousand at present .
The State is known for its pristine beaches , sacred places of worship , lush green forests , spicy cuisine and hospitable people . Investment areas include such as eco tourism , rural tourism , pilgrim tourism , wellness tourism , adventure tourism , beach tourism , river tourism , eco-theme parks , water sports complexes , wayside amenities and convention facilities .
Some of the major tourism projects on the anvil are development of Beach road from Tada to Ichchapuram , Hill tourism in Lambasingi , Araku and surrounding regions , Tourist Development plan for Bhavani island ( Krishna district ) on the lines of Sentosa ( Singapore ), Tourist Development plan for Visakhapatnam and other projects like floating cruises , restaurants etc .
Under the Visakhapatnam Hub , 55 projects are being developed with a total investment of Rs 3228 crore . Out of these , 23 projects at a cost of Rs 883 crore are nearing completion .
The Kakinada-Konaseema- Rajahmundry Hub too is witnessing investments in the tourism sector with nearly Rs 1978 crore worth projects on anvil . Work on Development of Konaseema-Hope Island-Kakinada project under Swadesh Darshan Scheme commenced at a cost Rs 70 crore is completed . Development of Papikondalu – Konaseema Mega Tourism Circuit at a cost of Rs 45crore is nearing completion .
For Amaravati Hub , a total of 43 projects are being tracked at an outlay of Rs 4102 crore . Out of these 22 projects worth Rs 1212 crore are nearing completion . These include building 5-star hotels and beach resorts in the hub .
The Tirupati hub , which includes Chittoor and Nellore , 26 projects with an investment of Rs 1,427 crore are on course . Out of these 10 projects costing Rs 400 crore will be ready soon . The Anantapur Hub has investments worth Rs 758 crore for 9 tourism projects .
The Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management ( IITTM ) coming up at Nellore will not only give a fillip to existing tourism infrastructure in the state but also boost tourism in the districts nearby . Work has commenced on the buildings of Indian Culinary Institute at Tirupati at a cost of Rs 95 crore .
A detailed project report is being prepared for ‘ Akhanda Godavari ’ tourism project . A sum of Rs . 100 crore would be spent on developing infrastructure and facilities at tourist spots in and around Rajamahendravaram .
Ajay Devgn and Kajol have come forward to be the brand ambassadors of Andhra Pradesh tourism . Devgn also proposed to build an entertainment and media city in the state ’ s upcoming capital Amaravati . Essel Group executives evinced interest in developing an island for tourism purposes and in constructing a multi-storeyed centre for “ fun and recreational purposes .
The State Government also plans to convert aircraft carrier INS Viraat , the world ’ s oldest aircraft carrier , into a 500-room hotel or resort after it is decommissioned from service later this year . The 28,700-tonne aircraft carrier would also used to promote tourism in the State .
The Government is establishing Museums at Visakhapatnam , Vijayanagaram and Eluru and a Coastal Museum at Vijayawada . v JUNE 2016 ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE . ORG 47