The Andhra Pradesh Government on Tuesday signed 27 MoUs with several companies for tourism projects with an investment potential of Rs 5,200 crore.
The MoUs were signed at the concluding day of the 3-day Partnership Summit jointly held by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the State Government.
The Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, said that the tourism potential of the State would have to be fully tapped, as it had a long coastline, several ancient temples, Buddhist sites and heritage structures, besides picturesque places like Konaseema area in East Godavari and Araku valley in Visakhapatnam district.
He urged entrepreneurs to come up with innovative ideas and his Government would give them all support. Several tax incentives and other incentives had been announced in the tourism policy announced last year and entrepreneurs should make use of them, he added.
Subhash Chandra, Chairman of Zee Group and Essel group, said his group had earlier signed MoUs for tourism projects worth Rs 1,000 crore in the State, and they would be grounded as soon as possible.
Praising the AP Chief Minister for his pro-active approach, he said there was no realisation in the country that tourism could be a huge revenue-earner as well as employment generator. The sector was being taxed to death, he added.
Vivek Nair, CMD of Leela Venture Ltd, said beach tourism should be encouraged in the country and for that the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) rules would have to be relaxed. Luxury tourism would entail huge investments and therefore the State should first concentrate on promoting other forms of tourism.
The Union Civil Aviation Minister, P Ashok Gajapati Raju, said civil aviation and tourism were interdependent and one needed the other. Andhra Pradesh was focusing on development of airports and three new airport projects were coming up in the State - an international airport at Bhogapuram near Visakhapatnam, another at Nellore and the third at Kurnool.