Andhra Pradesh government will grant ‘industry’ status to tourism sector, says Chief Minister

The long coastline in the State i s a boon in disguise, says Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
| Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT

The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to accord ‘industry’ status to the tourism sector.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, while participating in the World Tourism Day celebrations here on September 27 (Friday), said an official announcement would be made within the next 15 days on this. He said grant of ‘industry’ status to tourism will entail benefits like more investments, employment generation, better promotion, skill development, sustainable tourism and recognition.

Economic catalyst

He said tourism was a vital economic catalyst that could help a country’s growth and prosperity. This sector could create jobs, strengthen the local economy and contribute to local infrastructure development, he said citing the example of a newly-constructed ₹100-crore five star hotel in Adoni in Kurnool district. The long coastline in the State was a boon in disguise, he said, adding that it provided vast scope to develop tourist destinations.

Mr. Naidu listed out the variety of tourist attractions in the State including beaches, hills, caves, wildlife, forests and temples. “We are fortunate that we have Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirupati, a destination that pulls massive crowds from not just across the country but also from other countries. “Indians living across the globe visit this revered place at least once in their lifetime,” he said.

He directed the officials of the Tourism Department to focus on capacity-building and skill-enhancement of the staff and said the government would leverage technology to explore new possibilities in this sector.

Tirupati laddu controversy

Referring to the Tirupati laddu controversy, he said he would not allow the sanctity of the temple to be besmirched by anyone under any circumstances.

Mr. Naidu said celebration of Tourism Day after a long gap was indeed a welcome move and promised to the people of the State that he would transform the state into ‘Swarnandhra Pradesh” by 2047 “provided you help me keep evil forces at bay”.

Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh, Secretary, Department of Tourism, Vinay Chand, and other officials and people’s representatives were present.