Naidu for making AP premier tourism destination Flags off caravan tourism, to promote inclusive growth

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday unveiled an ambitious vision to position Andhra Pradesh as a global leader in tourism.

MoUs worth Rs.10,329 crore weee signed in the presence of Naidu at the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Conclave Tech AI 2.0 held here.

Addressing industry leaders, policymakers and stakeholders at the conference, he described tourism as the engine of future growth and emphasised its central role in driving economic transformation, employment generation, and cultural promotion.

The Chief Minister, who flagged off caravan tourism project, said globally, one in every 10 jobs is from tourism,” and pointed out that the sector’s potential to create eight jobs for every Rs.1 lakh invested, more than IT, manufacturing, or agriculture. He shared plans to grow the sector’s employment share from 12% to 15%, and increase its contribution to GSDP from Rs.74,000 crore to Rs.2,40,000 crore by 2029.

Naidu spoke about the inclusive homestay policy, with a target of 10,000+ homestays across tribal, rural, coastal, and heritage regions.

“From 19,500 rooms now, we aim to scale up to 50,000 rooms by 2029,” he said. Emphasising local empowerment and inclusive growth, he added: “Earlier I said, one family, one IT professional. Now I say, one family, one entrepreneur,” underscoring plans for innovation through the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub.

“Andhra Pradesh has the best temples, 21 of them generate wealth,” the Chief Minister declared. From ancient cities and a 1,000 km coastline to forest reserves and riverine systems like the Godavari and Krishna, he outlined the State's natural and spiritual assets. The government is developing seven anchor hubs, Visakhapatnam, Araku, Rajahmundry, Amaravati, Srisailam, Gandikota, and Tirupati, and over 25 thematic circuits, including 10 temple circuits, five coastal, four river routes, two cruises, 2

two Buddhist, and three eco-tourism trails.

In his address, Baba Ramdev, who attended as a guest of honour, lauded Naidu’s leadership, stating, “Just as the world embraces yoga through us, they can learn transformative governance from CM Chandrababu Naidu.”

He called for the development of Horsley Hills as an international wellness destination integrating yoga, Ayurveda, and naturopathy. He announced plans to set up Patanjali wellness centers across the state and suggested promoting scenic locations as premium wedding venues, celebrating Indian traditions.

Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh, GFST Director Cherukuri Kutumba Rao, Vice Chairman S.P. Tucker and others spoke.