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Minister for Tourism, Culture and Cinematography Kandula Durgesh connected Friday (June 19, 2026) said the State authorities was committed to transforming Andhra Pradesh into a world-class tourism destination and a large operator of economical maturation and employment generation.
Addressing the media astatine Berm Park successful Vijayawada, Mr. Durgesh highlighted the achievements of the Tourism, Culture and Cinematography Departments during the conjugation government’s 2 years successful office.
He said the authorities had granted manufacture presumption to tourism and introduced the Tourism Policy 2024-29, attracting investments worthy astir ₹20,000 crore done 117 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). These projects were expected to make implicit 1.22 lakh nonstop and indirect employment opportunities. Permissions had been granted for 50 caller hotels, adding implicit 9,000 rooms to the existing hospitality infrastructure. The authorities aimed to make 50,000 edifice rooms crossed the State wrong 5 years done Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives, helium informed.
Mr. Durgesh noted that home tourer arrivals had accrued by 17% implicit the past 2 years, reaching 37 crore footfalls, portion overseas tourer arrivals touched 2.62 lakh.
As a result, Andhra Pradesh had improved its ranking from 16th to 13th spot nationally successful tourism. Major tourism hubs were being developed successful Visakhapatnam, Araku, Rajamahendravaram, Amaravati, Srisailam, Gandikota and Tirupati, supported by 25 thematic tourism circuits.
Homestays
The Minister said the authorities was besides promoting cruise tourism, caravan tourism, homestays, escapade tourism and wellness tourism. A peculiar accent was being placed connected tourer information done the constitution of a dedicated Beach Protection Force. A Statewide homestay portal, integrating 1,855 homestays, had been launched, portion structure cities were being planned astatine 21 large temples to boost spiritual tourism.
The Minister revealed that the Central Government had sanctioned ₹428 crore for 8 large tourism projects, including Suryalanka Beach, Borra Caves, Gandikota, Annavaram, Simhachalam, Ahobilam and the Nagarjuna Sagar Buddhist Circuit.
Andhra Pradesh precocious received the ‘Best Tourism Promotion State’ award, portion Araku Valley was recognised with an ‘Instagrammable Landscape’ award.
On the taste front, the authorities had revived awards specified arsenic Kala Ratna and Ugadi Puraskarams, and was moving towards restoring creator pensions and enactment schemes for Kuchipudi creation teachers. Plans were underway to found a euphony assemblage successful each territory and beforehand the State’s originative system done tourism and culture.
Film Policy
Regarding the movie industry, Mr. Durgesh announced that the long-pending Nandi Awards would beryllium resumed, including awards from 2025 onwards. A caller Film Policy was being drafted, offering incentives, streamlined permissions, and subsidies for movie shoots wholly successful Andhra Pradesh. The authorities was besides encouraging the improvement of movie infrastructure and a Film Institute successful the State.
The Minister reiterated that the integration of tourism, civilization and cinema would fortify Andhra Pradesh’s marque representation and presumption it prominently connected the planetary tourism map.
