The undivided Andhra Pradesh had emerged as the “most-preferred” tourist destination for domestic travellers with about 20 per cent share in the total domestic tourist visits of over 103 crore across India in 2012, a study said today.
Clocking the compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 85 per cent, the undivided AP recorded a significant surge in domestic tourist arrivals in the state, which crossed 20 crore mark in 2012 from a level of 11 crore in 2006, according to the study titled ‘Indian Tourism Industry: The Way Forward’ conducted by Assocham.
However, the erstwhile AP did not figure in the list of top 10 states in terms of foreign tourist arrivals in India as the state attracted only about 2.9 lakh foreign tourists in 2012, while in 2011 the figure stood at 2.6 lakh.
With investments of over Rs 6,800 crore, the erstwhile AP ranked fifth with 5.7 per cent share among 20 major states attracting total investments worth over Rs 1.2 lakh crore in hotels and tourism industry across India, said the study prepared by the Assocham Economic Research Bureau (AERB).
“There is a huge scope for luring investments from the private sector in the two new states – Telangana and residual Andhra Pradesh- that are endowed with abundant entrepreneurial talent, highly competent bureaucracy and forward-looking political leadership,” said D S Rawat, national secretary general of Assocham, while releasing the findings of the chamber’s study here.
“There is a need for both the state governments to provide clear land bank policies for improving the physical infrastructure in order to attract new investments in the hospitality sector in their respective states,” he added.
“They should also develop the tourism sector based on their respective core natural strengths. Besides, they should also conduct tourism fair and festivals for showcasing the rich cultural heritage on a regular interval.