Vijayawada: In a move to make tourism in Andhra Pradesh a global attraction, govt has taken to heritage homes in Konaseema and agencies for home stays to showcase their strength.Located in the lush greens and amidst beautiful lakes and backwaters, the heritage homes are going to transform the landscape of AP’s tourism image. The tourism department is closely monitoring facilities and safety of the tourists.This is expected to soon take the state to a top spot.“Chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu aims to make the state the top tourism destination in the country within five years. The grant of industrial status to the tourism sector and host of new initiatives are going to be game changers for the sector,” state tourism special chief secretary Ajay Jain told TOI.Jain visited several identified homestays in West Godavari district and expressed his happiness about the progress of work. He said that they have decided to promote the homestay system to ensure tourists returned with pleasant experiences and cherished memories.“We have identified 1,842 homestay units and, are successfully operating them across the state. In fact, 561 homestays are functioning in Tirupati alone,” said Jain.The special chief secretary of AP tourism said that the prominent hospitality organisations are coming forward to establish operations in the state. With this, around 18,000 job opportunities will be created and 27 major hotels will start operations. “Tourism in India was once associated only with pilgrimages and religious sites, however, tourists are now drawn to homestays, historical sites, and natural destinations,” said Jain.
