Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh is known for its rich cultural heritage, historical sites and natural beauty. The State offers a diverse range of tourist attractions, including ancient temples, pristine beaches, lush hill stations and wildlife sanctuaries and holds significant potential to be the leading tourism destination for national and international tourists.
In order to promote the tourism sector and generate employment, the State government on Monday announced Andhra Pradesh Tourism Policy 2024-2029. The primary objective of announcing the policy is creating 3 lakh jobs, which constitutes 15 per cent of the overall State employment target of 20 lakh jobs set by the government over the next five years (2024-2029). After careful consideration of the feedback from various stakeholders, benchmarking with the Tourism Policies of the Best States and also incorporating the suggestions of the line departments like Industries and Commerce, Finance, Labour and Law Departments, the Government released the tourism policy on Monday.
Ajay Jain, Special Chief Secretary and Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), released the tourism policy.
As part of the new policy the following sports and games and recreational facilities will be promoted.
Adventure activities, Restaurants/floating restaurants, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), Amusement parks, Eco-tourism lodges, Houseboats Cultural and heritage activities etc will get the boost. The government also proposed employment incentives. These incentives are designed to support projects that generate significant employment and enhance the state’s tourism landscape. The employment incentives will be applicable to tourism projects that commence operations during the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Policy period.
The new policy will encourage collaborations with the following vocational training institutes, universities, and local skill development centres. Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM), Nellore; Indian Culinary Institute (ICI), Tirupati State Institute of Hotel Management (SHIM), Tirupati; Food Craft Institute, Vizag; and Food Adventure Academy, Kadapa.
These collaborations will focus on ensuring that the workforce is adequately trained to meet the demands of the tourism industry. By engaging these prestigious institutions, the policy aims to equip the workforce with relevant skills in hospitality, adventure tourism, food services, and more. This initiative will enhance the overall quality and sustainability of the tourism sector in Andhra Pradesh.
