HYDERABAD: A new investor-friendly tourism policy aimed at making Andhra Pradesh the number one tourist destination was announced by the Tourism Minister J. Geeta Reddy here on Sunday.

With 8.9 crore domestic tourists visiting the State, Andhra Pradesh is already on the top of the chart but it had a long way to go in attracting international tourists. The new policy would emphasise on expansion of infrastructure, particularly good hotel rooms and a few spas. Apart from generating revenue and creating employment, the new policy would do its bit to alleviate poverty by creating tourism infrastructure in small towns and villages. Such investors would be given incentives from a special fund. To showcase the tourism opportunities, golfer Krishna Reddy and shooter Amit Sanghi have been signed on as the new brand ambassadors.

A highlight of the new policy, the third since 1989, would be the 25 per cent concession for investors on value added tax, entertainment and luxury tax, 100 per cent reimbursement of stamp duty and registration fee and land on 33-year lease that could be extended depending upon the project feasibility. Subsidies would also be allowed on the investment depending upon the category of projects, she said.

The Tourism Minister announced that a slew of tourism projects, joint as well as private ventures, were in different stages of execution. Among them were the first-ever spa hotel and training centre that would be ready at Nanakramguda here by September 2007 at a cost of Rs. 100 crores apart from a Rs. 214-crore five-star hotel of Hilton group at Madhapur.

An Urban Entertainment Centre (Rs. 137 crores) at the old Gandhi Medical College premises, another at Gajuwaka in Visakhapatnam (Rs. 30 crores) and a budget hotel (Rs. 40 crores) on the Lower Tank Bund Road here were others.

Dr. Geeta Reddy pointed out that the budgetary allocation when the State's first tourism policy was launched was just Rs. 1 crore, an amount that was hiked to Rs. 3 crores in the early 90s whereas the investments in the pipeline now were of the order of Rs. 700 crores.

Tourism Secretary Chitra Ramachandran, Chairman APTDC T.K. Dewan and Managing Director Raymond Peter were present.

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