Minister for Tourism Kandula Durgesh spoke about this during press conference on June 19,2026,at Berm Park in Vijayawada,and honestly,scale of numbers being mentioned is not small thing.
He said Andhra Pradesh wants to become premier global tourism destination,and government is treating tourism like serious economic engine now . Not just sightseeing and brochures,but jobs,hotels,film shoots,culture,temples,beaches… full mix.
Over last two years,Tourism,Culture and Cinematography Departments under coalition government have apparently pushed many changes . Durgesh said tourism has been given industry status,and Tourism Policy 2024-29 has already attracted investments close to ₹20,000 crore through 117 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).
And if those plans actually move on ground,government is expecting around 1.22 lakh direct and indirect jobs . Permissions for 50 new hotels have also been given,adding over 9,000 rooms to hospitality infrastructure . Bigger target is even more huge — 50,000 hotel rooms across state in next five years through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).
Few numbers really stand out here:
- Tourist arrivals surge by 17% — Domestic tourist arrivals have reached 37 crore while foreign arrivals touched 2.62 lakh .
- Major tourism hubs developed — Key areas like Visakhapatnam,Tirupati,and Amaravati are now focal points for tourism growth.
- Central funding of ₹428 crore — For eight major tourism projects,enhancing attractions like Borra Caves and Nagarjuna Sagar Buddhist Circuit.
But numbers alone don't make tourism successful,that is also true . Andhra Pradesh improving national tourism ranking from 16th to 13th place does show some movement,but experience on ground matters more for tourists no? Clean places,safe beaches,proper roads,good hotels,fair pricing… these things decide whether people come again.
Government is also talking about cruise tourism,caravan tourism and wellness tourism . Dedicated Beach Protection Force is being set up for tourist safety,which actually makes sense because beach tourism can become risky very fast if safety is casual . Statewide homestay portal has also been launched with 1,855 homestays,and tent cities are being planned at 21 major temples for spiritual tourism.
And cultural side is also being pushed along with tourism . Andhra Pradesh won Best Tourism Promotion State award,and Araku Valley got ‘Instagrammable Landscape’ award,which is very 2026 type recognition only . Revival of Kala Ratna and Ugadi Puraskarams is also being shown as support for local arts,and plan to establish music college in every district is connected to creative economy.
Film sector also came into picture,with Durgesh announcing Nandi Awards will resume from 2025 . New Film Policy is being drafted to give incentives and make permissions easier for film shoots in Andhra Pradesh,along with focus on film infrastructure and setting up Film Institute in state.
Honestly,this whole plan looks like Andhra Pradesh is trying to connect tourism,culture and cinema into one brand image . Ambition is clearly there,money is being discussed,awards are coming,projects are being lined up… but real test will be whether all this reaches actual tourist spots and local people,or stays mostly in announcements…
