The next Andhra Pradesh itinerary may look very different. With the IATO Convention putting the state’s developments before the travel trade, it is making a stronger case for longer stays and more diverse itineraries.
Janice Alyosius
Andhra Pradesh is looking to use the upcoming IATO Convention in Visakhapatnam to showcase a tourism proposition that is expanding beyond its traditional pilgrimage base. New hotels, fresh tourism circuits, and improving international connectivity are coming together as the state seeks to attract more visitors, extend stays, and give the travel trade a wider product to sell.
The timing is significant as the state builds accommodation capacity around Visakhapatnam and the Bhogapuram airport while developing new circuits across the region. Some prestigious hotel brands are part of the new and upcoming hospitality landscape being highlighted, alongside products spanning coastal, Buddhist, tribal, ecotourism, and adventure tourism.
Hotels add to strength
Ravi Gosain, President, IATO, said the growth in hotel inventory could materially change Visakhapatnam’s positioning in the leisure market. “We are witnessing a significant expansion in hotel infrastructure around Visakhapatnam and along the coast. Brands such as Oberoi, Mayfair, Atmosphere, Novotel, and Hyatt Centric are adding to the quality and scale of accommodation available in the region. With Bhogapuram airport also coming into operation, this combination can help Visakhapatnam establish itself much more strongly as a beach and leisure destination,” he said. Gosain also pointed to the coastal product as an opportunity for the trade to develop alternatives to established beach destinations. “There are beautiful and relatively less crowded beaches such as Suryalanka, which have the potential to offer travellers an experience comparable with Goa, but with a different character,” he said.
The state government is also positioning policy and investment as key drivers of this expansion. Kandula Durgesh, Minister for Tourism, Culture & Cinematography, Government of Andhra Pradesh, said the tourism sector receiving industry status and the introduction of a new five-year policy had helped attract investment. “Tourism activity has increased significantly over the past two years, and we are seeing new hotels, including large hotels and star-category properties, coming up across Andhra Pradesh. This is the right juncture to bring the industry and the government together and use the IATO Convention to create meaningful interaction that can ultimately bring more tourists to the state,” he said.
Circuits broaden appeal
The state is simultaneously working to convert individual attractions into multi-day circuits. The North Coast Andhra pilgrimage circuit, along with a Tirupati–Kanipakam–Srikalahasti circuit, is being developed to encourage pilgrims to combine religious visits with other experiences.