HYDERABAD: Telangana has received investment proposals worth Rs 22,324 crore and recorded strong tourist footfall in the first 1,000 days of the government led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Tourism, Culture and Archaeology Minister Jupally Krishna Rao said.
Releasing a tourism progress report, Jupally said the state had made progress in policy, infrastructure, investment, branding and experience-based tourism.
The Telangana Tourism Policy 2025-30, the first tourism policy introduced since the state’s formation, targets Rs 15,000 crore in investments, three lakh additional jobs and a place among the top five states in tourist arrivals, and also seeks to increase tourism’s contribution to the state’s GDP and revenue, said the minister.
The policy identifies 27 Special Tourism Areas (STAs) and six tourism clusters covering spiritual, heritage, eco-wellness, handicraft, water and Buddhist tourism. Incentives include GST input subsidies, tax concessions and single-window clearances through TG-iPASS. Tourism properties can also be developed through public-private partnerships (PPP) under allotments of 33 to 99 years.
Investment proposals have already surpassed the policy target, with Rs 15,279 crore proposed at the Telangana Tourism Conclave and another Rs 7,045 crore at the Telangana Rising Global Summit. The projects are expected to generate nearly 90,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The state completed 78 tourism projects in 2025, while 45 are under implementation. Another Rs 275 crore has been allocated under centrally sponsored schemes for projects including the Bhongir Fort Experiential Zone, Ananthagiri Eco-Tourism Zone, Buddhavanam Digital Experience Centre, Ramappa Sustainable Tourism Circuit and Somasila Wellness and Spiritual Retreat.
Tourist visits have also increased. Telangana recorded 5.84 crore domestic and 1.60 lakh foreign tourist visits in 2023, rising to 8.82 crore and 1.55 lakh respectively in 2024. In 2025, the state recorded 8.48 crore domestic and 1.71 lakh foreign tourist visits. By August 2026, the figures stood at 7.71 crore domestic and 1.24 lakh foreign visits, with foreign arrivals growing by around 10%, according to the government.
The state is moving beyond conventional sightseeing towards experience-based tourism centred on cuisine, handicrafts, culture, nature, adventure, spirituality and wellness. Hyderabad, Yadadri, Bhadrachalam, Somasila, Warangal, Nagarjuna Sagar, and Vikarabad are among the destinations being developed.
For weekend tourism, 142 spots have been identified under the proposed “100 Weekend Wonders of Tourism” programme. Homestays, local guides, youth tourism clubs, museums and GI-tagged products will be integrated into itineraries, officials said.
Film tourism is also being promoted through the proposed “Film in Telangana” platform, which will provide information on shooting locations, studios, production facilities and permissions.
