Manginapudi Beach To Be Developed Into A Premier Tourism Destination: Minister Durgesh
The four-day event that aims to promote beach tourism in AP was inaugurated by tourism minister Kandula Durgesh Mines minister alongside excise minister Kollu Ravindra.
VIJAYAWADA: The Masula Beach Festival kicked off with great flair at Manginapudi beach in Machilipatnam, in Krishna district on Thursday, attracting large crowds of tourists and locals.
The four-day event that aims to promote beach tourism in AP was inaugurated by tourism minister Kandula Durgesh Mines minister alongside excise minister Kollu Ravindra.
The ministers inaugurated the National Water Sports, featuring adventure activities such as Paragliding, Kayaking and popular beach games like Kabaddi and Volleyball.
They launched the festival by inaugurating the Gateway of Amaravati Iconic Tower, set at the entrance to the beach. They also unfurled a 100-foot-high national flag in tribute to Pingali Venkaiah, its designer.
Durgesh announced that the Manginapudi beach in Bandar (Machilipatnam) would soon be transformed into a world-class tourist destination. He said the Masula beach festival would give the region a vibrant new identity.
The minister revealed that during his recent meeting with Union tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in New Delhi, the latter expressed the Centre’s willingness to allocate additional tourism projects for Andhra Pradesh. He said that in this connection, Detailed Project Reports are being prepared for several such initiates, with Manginapudi listed as a top priority.
Durgesh reiterated the government’s focus on sustainable tourism development and promised that Manginapudi would soon emerge as one of the finest coastal destinations in south India. He said, “In the past year alone, several renowned hotels and resorts have begun operations in the state after the chief minister conferred industry status on the tourism sector.”
As for the festival at Manginapudi beach, he said, “This is the biggest beach festival in south India. We are proud to revive it in Machilipatnam. We are committed to transforming Bandar into the Gateway of Amaravati.”
Ravindra said, “We’ve installed a model of the Amaravati assembly building to provide a visual treat for visitors here. This event brings together all the flavours of the country in one location,” he added.
He stressed the need for financial support under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, urging officials to secure funding for tourism infrastructure. “We are ready to support entrepreneurs coming forward to establish hotels and resorts in Machilipatnam. The government is committed to transforming the future of Bandar by completing the Machilipatnam Port.”
The event was attended by government whip and Gannavaram MLA Yarlagadda Venkata Rao, Pamarru MLA Varla Kumar Raja, APSRTC chairman Konakalla Narayana Rao, DCMS chairman Bandi Ramakrishna, tourism special CS Ajay Jain and senior officials.
