AP to declare 2023 as 'Year of Visit'

Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh Government will declare 2023 as a 'Year of Visit.' This was agreed at a review meeting the Tours and Travels Association of Andhra (TTAA) attended at the behest of Tourism Minister RK Roja on Wednesday at the Secretariat at Velagapudi.

The meeting was also attended by Principal Secretary Rajat Bhargav and Chairman APTDC Vara Prasad Reddy. On the suggestion of TTAA, the Minister okayed the proposal to

declare 2023 as the Year of Visit AP.

The initiative to declare 2023 as the Year of Visit AP will bring in tourism to the State. TTAA president P Vijay Mohan told Bizz Buzz that the Tourism Minister agreed to inaugurate this event and promote Vizag as a gateway destination. Vizag will be henceforth promoted as a gateway destination for Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The strategy will help tourism grow 10 folds especially inbound tourism for all the three States. "We are in deliberations with the Government of Odisha on this subject and we shall shortly sign an MOU on this," he said. Vijay Mohan said out of the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas in India three are in AP which are situated in Srisailam, Pithapuram and Draksharam to be created as a new circuit.

He said a map will be created to develop tribal tourism, as this will draw a lot of foreigners to understand how the tribal's managed to preserve their prehistoric rituals, customs and culture even in todays modern world. "We have to develop tribal circuits and places like Kondiba, plan treks to interior villages like Pirbanda, and create experiences like meeting the Kyui-speaking tribes and create community home stays and create an insight to the real tribal life.