AP to Focus on Circuit, Film Tourism: Minister Durgesh

Visakhapatnam: The new tourism policy of Andhra Pradesh would focus on circuit and film tourism to attract more visitors to the state, Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh has said.

Addressing the `Travel and Tourism Summit-2024’ organised by CII here on Friday, the minister said 23 crore tourists visited the state last year, of which 90 per cent were pilgrims mostly to Tirupati.

The minister proposed relocating the Telugu film industry to Vijayawada, highlighting the state’s growing appeal as a filming destination.

“Andhra Pradesh attracts more film shooting agencies than the neighbouring states including Telangana,” he said and added, “The shift of the film industry to Vijayawada would boost AP’s entertainment sector and revenue generation.”

The minister outlined the government’s tourism development strategy. The new tourism policy that promises to benefit all stakeholders would come into effect from April next. The state expects an allocation of Rs 1,000 crore from the central government under the Swadesh Darshan and PRASAD schemes, he said.

The state is keen on developing sustainable tourism models, with plans to encourage visitor stays to 3-4 days at each location. “We’re adopting a PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model due to current investment constraints. Major hospitality chains like Oberoi and Taj group of hotels have evinced interest.”

Addressing the state’s diverse tourism potential, he said spiritual tourism accounted for 90 per cent of the visitors, with major temples like Tirupati, Annavaram, Sihachalam and Srisailam leading the way. The government plans to develop tourism circuits connecting these spiritual sites with nearby attractions and promote the state’s Buddhist heritage.

Film-maker Daggubati Suresh Babu, present at the summit, raised concern over India’s tourism infrastructure. “We need to address basic issues like cleanliness, sanitation and food preparation standards at tourist locations,” he stated.

The minister also announced plans for coastal development, including expanding beyond the state’s single Blue Flag beach certification and exploring cruise tourism opportunities between Visakhapatnam and Sri Lanka, pending a resolution of issues with the Puducherry government.