IATO Meet: AP Showcased as Key Tourism Hub
The minister said the department is prioritising facilities, safety, and responsible tourism, and praised tour operators as the sector's pillars.
Visakhapatnam:Andhra Pradesh’s Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh has said the state is being developed as a key destination in the nation’s tourism landscape, with new initiatives aimed at accelerating inbound tourism.
The 41st annual conference of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) was inaugurated in Visakhapatnam on Thursday evening with the theme, India – The World’s Next Tourism Opportunity.
Durgesh and civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu attended the event as chief guests, unveiling the IATO Manual Book and the state tourism department’s poster, The Godavari Calls, which highlights the uniqueness of the Godavari Pushkaralu scheduled for 2027.
Addressing the gathering, Durgesh said the conference was crucial for AP’s tourism sector, noting that visitors experienced not just a state but India's culture through AP’s tourism offerings. He urged tour operators from across the country and abroad to visit the state, immerse themselves in its hospitality, and promote it globally.
The minister asked them to design special packages of varying durations to showcase AP’s tourism circuits. He noted that the government has accorded tourism the status of an industry and was offering subsidies under the new tourism policy (2024–29).
The state, he claimed, has attracted `20,000 crore in tourism investments over the past two years, supported by policies encouraging caravan tourism, homestays, land allotment, and employment generation.
Durgesh said tourism development wasa being guided by six principles – related to policy, process, partnership, projects, promotion, and products. He explained that the government has introduced innovative methods such as wellness, eco, adventure, heli, and seaplane tourism.
Wellness tourism based on yoga and Ayurveda is being expanded along the 1,058‑km coastline, while infrastructure has been strengthened in destinations like Araku, Lambasingi, and Maredumilli. Central government schemes such as Prasad, Shaski, CBDD, and Swadesh Darshan are supporting modernisation of tourism destinations and rapid infrastructure development.
Highlighting the Godavari Pushkaram, Durgesh said seven tourist circuits have been created in the catchment areas to provide spiritual experiences, including Pancharama Kshetras, Shakti Peethas, Vaishnava Divya Kshetras, heritage temples, Pushkar Ghats, and Akhanda Godavari areas.
Packages will connect sites such as the Havelock Bridge, Papikondalu boat rides, Antarvedi, Vadapalli, Appanapalli, Mandapalli, Samarlakota, Draksharamam, and Palakollu.
The minister said the department is prioritising facilities, safety, and responsible tourism, and praised tour operators as the sector's pillars.
Rammohan Naidu noted that AP has abundant natural, spiritual and cultural resources to become a world‑class destination. He announced that air connectivity to Visakhapatnam and other destinations would be further strengthened, with new airports and seaplane services planned to make travel faster and easier.
Special chief secretary S.S. Rawat presented a report on tourism resources, investments, and infrastructure. IATO representatives welcomed the state’s new tourism policy, saying it was encouraging for investors and operators, and promised that special packages would be prepared for coastal areas, Araku, Papikondalu, and the Godavari Pushkarams.