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Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, has unveiled an ambitious plan to elevate the state as a leading global destination for tourism, happiness, and wellbeing. By 2029, he aims to boost the sector’s contribution to the state’s economy and employment, with the development of new tourism hubs, themed circuits, and an increase in hotel capacity.
During a tourism summit in Vijayawada, Naidu expressed his vision for Andhra Pradesh to become a wealthy, healthy, and joyful state. "Andhra Pradesh will be the future destination for wellness and happiness. My goal is a wealthy, healthy, happy Andhra Pradesh—that is the goal I have set," he said.
He highlighted tourism as a key driver for economic growth, job creation, and cultural promotion, noting that one in every ten jobs worldwide is linked to tourism. Naidu shared plans to increase the sector’s share of employment from 12 per cent to 15 per cent and its contribution to the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) from Rs 74,000 crore to Rs 2.4 lakh crore by 2029.
The state currently offers around 19,500 hotel rooms, but the target is to expand this to 50,000 rooms within the next four years. Naidu also emphasised the immense potential of temple tourism, with 21 temples in Andhra Pradesh each generating over Rs 1 crore annually.
Listing the state’s natural and spiritual attractions — from ancient cities and a 1,000-kilometre coastline to forest reserves and river systems such as the Godavari and Krishna, he outlined a comprehensive development plan. This includes seven key tourism hubs: Visakhapatnam, Araku, Rajahmundry, Amaravati, Srisailam, Gandikota, and Tirupati, along with over 25 themed circuits like temple routes, coastal circuits, river journeys, cruise routes, Buddhist trails, and eco-tourism paths.
The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Policy 2024–29 was described as a transformative initiative, with the government granting industry status to tourism. Incentives for investors include full stamp duty exemption, electricity duty rebates for five years, GST reimbursements for up to 15 years, and expedited approvals under the “speed of doing business” initiative.
Naidu also invited yoga guru Baba Ramdev — who was present at the event — to act as an advisor for tourism development in the state, believing his influence would significantly boost Andhra Pradesh’s tourism profile. This bold vision positions Andhra Pradesh as a future leader in tourism, wellness, and happiness in India.
