CM Naidu Pushes for Homestays in Temple Towns
Chandrababu Naidu instructed officials to promote homestays in the Konaseema region and to develop an action plan to engage NRIs in this effort.
Vijayawada: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu emphasised the importance of promoting homestays that meet global standards in temple towns. This initiative aims to benefit pilgrims and boost temple tourism. He also instructed officials to promote homestays in the Konaseema region and to develop an action plan to engage NRIs in this effort.
Reviewing the tourism sector at the secretariat in Velagapudi, Amaravati, on Wednesday, the Chief Minister directed officials to organize tourism events in key cities such as Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Amaravati, Tirupati, Anantapur, and Kurnool, aiming to develop Andhra Pradesh as a tourism hub. He set a target to make ten thousand rooms ready by March 2026 for the convenience of tourists.
The tourism projects should be developed in all 175 assembly constituencies. Special focus should be made on setting up Disney World city in Anantapur, developing Kondapalli Khilla with the cooperation of private parties, arranging a light and sound show at Undavalli caves, promoting ecotourism at Chintapalli, organising an Elephant safari in Kuppam, and hosting a Dolphin show at Visakhapatnam, he suggested.
He enquired with the officials over the progress of development works in Araku, Lambasingi, and Suryalanka beach, as the beach experience project was grounded in Suryalanka at a cost of ₹ 97 crore. The Chief Minister said the tent house cities should be developed at Gandikota, Araku, Lambasingi, and other places, and special attention should be paid to develop Rajahmundry as a tourism hub. Chandrababu Naidu said priority should be given to heli and seaplane tourism connecting Vijayawada-Srisailam, Gandikota-Bangalore, and Visakha-Araku.
The officials were directed to celebrate the Dasara festival in Vijayawada on par with the Mysore Dasara celebrations. Naidu directed the officials to utilise the tourism for branding Araku coffee, red sanders toys, Kuchipudi dance, Mangalagiri, Dharmavaram, and Venkatagiri handlooms. The Chief Minister advised the officials to organise a beach festival in Suryalanka on World Tourism Day. Tourism minister Kandula Durgesh and officials were present.
