HYDERABAD: The state government is preparing a new tourism development plan focused on creating new destinations, improving visitor facilities and attracting private investment.
A major proposal is a Grand Tourism Carnival to showcase Telangana’s culture, cuisine, handicrafts, folk arts and heritage. The government plans to make it an annual event, drawing inspiration from Dubai’s Global Village to attract visitors from India and abroad.
For Hyderabad, the proposals include heritage walks through Putlibowli, Koti, Charminar and Laad Bazaar, along with night bazaars, sound-and-light shows, a Baoli Festival celebrating the city’s historic stepwells, city tour buses and a Vintage Cars Museum to boost heritage and night tourism.
The government also plans to expand ecotourism around the Amrabad and Kawal Tiger reserves. Officials will study successful wildlife tourism models such as Bandipur in Karnataka while promoting tourism linked to Chenchu tribal culture, Kakatiya heritage sites and trekking, with conservation as a key focus.
Another proposal is to develop about 1,600 acres of government-linked land at Somashila. The master plan includes waterfront tourism, hotels, recreation facilities, destination wedding venues and other tourism infrastructure to attract private investment and generate employment.
The proposals also include restoring the tourist cafeteria at the UNESCO World Heritage Ramappa Temple, introducing recreational activities at Sanjeevaiah Park in Hyderabad and launching a training and certification programme for tour guides.
The government also plans to improve tourism administration through better maintenance of tourism assets, protection of government properties and stronger field-level monitoring to speed up implementation of projects.