Andhra Pradesh eyeing virtual tours to kickstart tourism amid COVID-19 pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a huge toll on the tourism industry across the globe, Andhra Pradesh is currently looking at popularising the virtual tours of various important tourist destinations in the state, said Special Chief Secretary of Tourism and Culture, Rajat Bhargava on October 21. As per PTI report, while most experiences are being limited to being virtual, Andhra Pradesh is also hoping to keep up with the trends of the tourism industry amid the global health crisis. He reportedly also said that the development of rural tourism while keeping in mind the “safe and experimental in nature” is also being explored by the state government. 

Addressing a virtual interactive virtual session with the members of the national tourism committee of FICCI, Bhargava said that even though hotels and other such establishments have resumed services after lockdown, the tourist turnout has not been encouraging. With millions of cases still active across the globe, Bhargava acknowledged that aggressive marketing is required for the ‘revival of tourism’.

"The path to revival (of tourism) will involve building a perception of safe tourism in the minds of the tourists. Adjoining states will have to work together to ensure the free flow of tourists across borders," the Special Chief Secretary said.

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Bhargava called for ‘coordinated effort’

Rajat Bhargava also called for a “coordinated effort” between the stakeholders, Central government and the state government to kickstart the tourism industry. The Special Ci=hief Secretary also noted that Andhra Pradesh has the potential of developing a coastline and position itself as a high-end luxury beach tourism destination. 

He also indicated on state developing a new tourism policy that would be flexible, aggressive and will address the ongoing issues. "The tourism department has identified certain high potential locations for the development of hotels and luxury resorts in the state," he said. Even though the talks are still in the process, if approved, travellers across the world would be able to enjoy the serenity of Andhra Pradesh’s tourist spots. 

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