Beach festivals will be organised across A.P. starting from January 2025: Tourism Minister

Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh visiting Tenneti Park and other tourist places as part of his field visit, in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh on Sunday said that beach festivals will be conducted at Kakinada, Visakhapatnam, Suryalanka and Nellore beaches in January, 2025, to showcase the pristine beaches of the State to the world.

Mr. Durgesh also said that the department is currently preparing the new tourism policy, which would take a month for completion. The new policy, which will come into effect from April 2025, will support stakeholders, attract tourists and strive for tourism development. A conclave would also be arranged inviting all stakeholders, he added.

Addressing a press conference at Circuit House here on Sunday, Mr. Durgesh recalled that on September 9, he had attended the South India Tourism Ministers conference, led by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekawat. During the occasion, he had informed the Union Minister that the State several resources and massive scope for tourism. In response, Mr. Shekawat assured support to develop tourist attractions in the State.

Mr. Durgesh said that projects will be established at Srisailam, Bapatla-Suryalanka Beach, ‘Akhanda Godavari’ in East and West Godavari, Swadeshi Darshan in ASR district and Mahasangameswaram Project. He further said that beyond temple tourism, there is need to focus on eco-tourism, adventure tourism, wellness tourism, and agri-tourism.

The Minister said that Oberoi group has come forward to set up five-star hotels at five different places including Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Amaravati. Highlighting the need to promote tourism in the State, he said: “Being the Cinematography Minister, I would also seek the producers council to display name of the location of shoot within the State during the movie, to promote the region. The department will also promote tourist destinations on social media and encourage short films.”

When asked about the Rushikonda Constructions, Mr. Durgesh said that a discussion was held with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, and a decision would be taken in the next two months regarding the same.