VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Tourism, Culture and Cinematography Kandula Durgesh on Friday said the coalition government’s decisions over the last two years have positioned tourism as a key driver of Andhra Pradesh’s economic growth and employment generation. He outlined progress made in the tourism, culture and cinematography sectors since the government assumed office.
The minister said tourism has been accorded industry status and the New Tourism Policy 2024-29 has laid the foundation for global branding. The State has signed MoUs with 117 organisations, attracting nearly `20,000 crore in investments, which are expected to generate 1,22,637 direct and indirect jobs.
To expand capacity, 50 new hotels have been approved, adding 9,042 rooms to the existing 4,390 and taking the total to 13,432 classified rooms across the State. Of these, 42 hotels are under construction and are expected to generate 48,168 jobs. Durgesh said the government’s five-year target is 50,000 rooms.