Tourism Dept Begins Training Drivers as Tour Guides
Officials said this is the first time in India that a ride-hailing platform has been integrated with a state tourism authority for guided tourism services
Visakhapatnam: The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority (APTA) on Saturday launched a first-of-its-kind initiative to train and certify more than 1,000 drivers as tourist guides across Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Tirupati in partnership with ride-hailing platform Rapido.
The Visakhapatnam phase of the programme, covering 350 drivers, began at APTDC Yatri Nivas.
Under the initiative, drivers will undergo six hours of training in destination knowledge, service etiquette, itinerary planning and guided tour operations. Participants will also receive bilingual English-Telugu handbooks featuring verified tourist destinations and curated tour circuits across Andhra Pradesh.
Certified drivers will be onboarded onto the Rapido platform for hour-based tour bookings, including four-hour, six to eight-hour and full-day tour packages.
Officials said this is the first time in India that a ride-hailing platform has been integrated with a state tourism authority for guided tourism services.
The MoU between the Andhra Pradesh government and Rapido for the programme was signed last year.
The initiative has been conceptualised and implemented by APTA officials Dr Lajwanti and Mohit Mella.
Officials said the programme aims to convert the last-mile driver workforce into a trained and accountable tourism asset while creating additional income opportunities through guided tour services.
They said the initiative would also improve the quality and consistency of visitor experience across Andhra Pradesh.
With the launch of the programme, Andhra Pradesh has become the first state in the country to institutionalise driver-led tourism, officials added.
