Hyderabad, March 29: Chief Minister K Rosaiah has asked the State Tourism Department and AP Tourism Development Corporation to prepare a master plan for employment-intensive projects.
“Tourism is an industry where there is vast scope for employment of skilled professionals, unskilled workers and illiterate people. Hence tourism becomes a priority sector. Just Rs 10 lakh investment can create 78 jobs in tourism while it is only 18 jobs in other industries,’’ he said.
The State Government plans to conduct tourism road shows throughout the country and in other major cities of the world to attract tourists and the Chief Minister gave his green signal to a proposal putforth in this regard.
The Chief Minister agreed to another proposal to observe next year as `Visit Andhra Pradesh’ year offering attractive tourism packages, cultural programmes with special focus on attracting foreign and domestic tourists.
Rosaiah said the Government was firm on giving tourism sector its due importance for ensuring that the State earned a permanent place in the tourist circuits within the country and abroad.
The Chief Minister said that adventure tourism, heli tourism, pilgrim tourism and beach tourism should be given priority to attract more international tourists to the State. He said though Andhra Pradesh stands first in attracting domestic tourists, it was lagging in getting international tourists. In view of this, the Chief Minister asked Tourism Minister J Geeta Reddy to make efforts to develop AP’s 1000- km long coastline as well as the State’s famous pilgrim centres of Tirupati, Srisailam, Bhadrachalam, Annavaram and Simhachalam.
The Chief Minister after returning from Krishna district tour, was talking to Tourism Minister and Tourism Secretary Jayesh Ranjan and other officials at his residence regarding the new proposals and packages. The Chief Minister was informed that presently, AP Tourism Development Corporation and Department of Tourism are implementing 35 projects with funds from Government of India and State Government worth Rs 269 crore.
Major projects among these are Buddhist theme park at Nagarjuna Sagar, Budget Hotel at Nizamabad, Star Hotel at Shilparamam, 4-Star Hotel at National Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (NITHM), Hyderabad; Development of Charminar Area; Night Bazaar in Shilparamam; Institutes of Hotel Management at Tirupati, Vizianagaram & Srikakulam Circuit; Kolleru Lake Development; Resort & Golf Course at Idupulpaya-Kadapa Pilgrim Circuit, Tirupati Pilgrim Circuit.
The Chief Minister has also proposed converting R&B Guest Houses in the district headquarters into a chain of Budget Hotels and promotion of Hyderabad as Convention and Medical Tourism Capital of the country. These measures, according to the Chief Minister, will be in line with the State Government’s target to mobilise investments to the tune of Rs.1,500 crore in the future.
Geeta Reddy brought to the notice of the Chief Minister about the proposals to develop Brindavan- type of gardens at Nizamsagar and to establish new Shilparamams, Adventure Tourism Academy at Ananthagiri in RR Dist and develop Highway amenities and Rural Tourism.
–Agencies