Hans News Service Visakhapatnam

UnionCivil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu on Thursday said that Andhra Pradesh has abundant natural, spiritual and cultural resources required to emerge as a world-class tourist destination.

Speaking at the 41st annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) in Visakhapatnam, Ram Mohan Naidu said the state is home to several remarkable tourist destinations with immense potential for development. He emphasised that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is giving special priority to the tourism sector and considering concrete steps to unlock the state’s full tourism potential.

The Union Minister said air connectivity to Visakhapatnam and other major tourist destinations in Andhra Pradesh is further strengthened. He added that the government is working towards making tourist travel faster and more convenient by establishing new airports and introducing seaplane services.

Special Chief Secretary, Tourism and Culture Department S S Rawat said a comprehensive report containing statistics on the state’s tourism resources, its growth, incentives and subsidies provided to investors and infrastructure development was presented at the conference.

Tourism, Culture and Cinematography Minister Kandula Durgesh said the tourism sector had been neglected in the previous government’s tenure. However, after the coalition government came to power, innovative tourism initiatives such as wellness, eco, adventure, helicopter and seaplane tourism have been accelerated, he underlined

Durgesh mentioned that priority is given to developing world-class facilities at tourist destinations and stressed that active participation of tour operators and stakeholders in the travel trade is crucial for the sector’s growth. Later, the minister unveiled the prestigious ‘The Godavari Calls’ poster of the AP Tourism Department. The initiative aims to bring spirituality, culture and heritage together on a common platform, similar to the Kumbh Mela.

Durgesh said the initiative includes details of the Godavari Pushkaram scheduled to be held in 2027 along with information on various tourist circuits. Representatives of IATO and tour operators who arrived from different parts of the country were felicitated by tourism department officials. An impressive cultural show was presented on the occaison.