Andhra Minister Kandula Durgesh urges IATO to promote tourism

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department plans to work with tour operators attending the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) annual conference to promote the 2027 Godavari Pushkarams through seven tourism circuits covering the region’s major spiritual, heritage and natural attractions, Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh stated on Thursday.

The seven circuits planned in the Godavari catchment areas will cover Pancharama Kshetras, Shakti Peethas, Vaishnava Divya Kshetras, heritage temples, Pushkar Ghats and the Akhanda Godavari region. The packages will also connect attractions such as the Havelock Bridge, Papikondalu boat rides, Antarvedi, Vadapalli, Appanapalli, Mandapalli, Samarlakota, Draksharamam and Palakollu.

Addressing the 41st annual IATO conference in Visakhapatnam, organised with the theme “India - The World’s Next Tourism Opportunity”, Durgesh urged tour operators from across the country and abroad to visit Andhra Pradesh, experience its hospitality and develop packages of different durations covering the state’s tourism circuits.

He said the 2027 Pushkarams offered a major opportunity to showcase the Godavari region to visitors from across India and abroad.

The department was prioritising facilities, safety and responsible tourism for the event, he added.

The Tourism Minister stated the state was being developed as a key destination in India’s tourism landscape, with tourism accorded industrial status and subsidies being offered under the new tourism policy (2024-29). Andhra Pradesh had attracted tourism investments worth around Rs 20,000 crore over the past two years, he stated.

The policy was supporting initiatives such as caravan tourism, homestays, land allotment and employment generation, while wellness, eco, adventure, heli and seaplane tourism were also being promoted.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, who attended the conference as chief guest, said Andhra Pradesh has abundant natural, spiritual and cultural resources to emerge as a world-class tourism destination.

He stated that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was giving special attention to tourism as a growth sector.