Andhra Pradesh Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh showcased the State’s tourism potential at the FAITH Tourism Conclave 2026 in New Delhi on Thursday. He unveiled the ‘Swarna Andhra Tourism Vision 2047’, aimed at positioning Andhra Pradesh as one of India’s leading global tourism destinations.

Inviting investors to partner with the State, the Minister described Andhra Pradesh as a complete tourism and investment destination.

Addressing policymakers, investors, and tourism industry leaders, he said the State government was pursuing sustainable and community-driven tourism aligned with the Centre’s Viksit Bharat vision.

Describing Andhra Pradesh as a State where “every bit of India is present,” he highlighted its 1,054-km coastline, over 80,000 temples including the one at Tirumala, 13 wildlife sanctuaries, three national parks, the country’s largest tiger reserve and several UNESCO tentative heritage sites.

Growth in footfalls

Mr. Durgesh outlined the State’s diverse tourism offerings, including spiritual, Buddhist, heritage, eco-tourism, adventure, beach, culinary, handicraft and cultural destinations. He noted that tourist arrivals increased from 28.58 crore in 2023–24 to 36.42 crore in 2025–26, while foreign tourist arrivals rose from 1.70 lakh to 2.72 lakh, registering nearly 49% growth.

The Minister said Andhra Pradesh had granted industry status to tourism projects and was implementing a transparent Tourism Policy 2024–29. The State has attracted investment proposals worth ₹19,693 crore, with approvals already issued for projects worth ₹9,200 crore, expected to add nearly 8,000 hotel rooms.

Highlighting employment generation as a key objective, Mr. Durgesh announced initiatives including caravan tourism, homestay promotion, adventure tourism guidelines, beach shack and concert policies, film tourism, and monument adoption programmes.

“The government aims to create three lakh jobs in the tourism sector over the next five years,” he said.

He highlighted the development of seven major tourism hubs, river cruise projects on the Krishna and Godavari rivers, improved connectivity through six airports and the ‘Holiday in Andhra Pradesh’ campaign focused on destination weddings, experiences, cuisine, and MICE tourism.