Date:21/09/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/09/21/stories/2004092107360500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Luxury train for Southern States by 2006

By Our Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA, SEPT. 20. "Southern Splendor," a luxury tourist train that would chug its way through all the major tourist destinations in the Southern States, is being planned at a cost of Rs 40 crores.

10-day package

While 50 per cent of the project cost would be borne by the Union Government, the rest of the amount would be met by the Southern States in equal proportion. Being established on the lines of the "Palace on Wheels" launched in the Northern States, the "Southern Splendor" would be used to conduct a 10-day sight-seeing package tour of the Southern States comprising Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Pondicherry.

"In Andhra Pradesh, the proposed tourist train would cover important tourists spots in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Visakhaptnam and Tirupati," the Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister, J.Geeta Reddy, told reporters here on Monday.

The project, which is awaiting approval by the Central Government, is expected to be completed by 2006 and is mainly intended to lure foreign tourists to the Southern States.

Sea cruise too

The Minister also announced that a Rs 25-crore sea cruise is being planned to ferry tourists from Visakhapatnam to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands through Chennai. The sea cruise is awaiting the Centre' s approval and would be completed by 2006.

Maintaining that Andhra Pradesh is the most preferred tourism destination among the Southern States, the Minister said that she had recently held discussions with the Union Civil Aviation Ministry and representatives of private airlines for ensuring aerial connectivity to the State from places like Kerala and Goa.

She pointed out that there were no direct flights from these two places to Andhra Pradesh, which is affecting the tourist inflow into the State. Dr. Reddy said that discussions are also under way with the various airline operators for direct flights to Puttaparthi in Anantapur district, which had become a major pilgrim and tourist destination in the State.

Promotional scheme

The Minister announced that about 1,000 schoolchildren from different parts of the country would be taken across the various tourist destinations in the State as part of a special tourism promotional programme, "Learn about Andhra Pradesh," in the third week of October. She said the programme being undertaken in collaboration with the international tourist operator, Cox & Kings, is aimed at using children as tourist ambassadors of the State.

Replying to a question, the Minister said the Congress Government had decided to give top priority to the promotion of tourism in the State as it was emerging as the second largest employment generating industry. She said the Government hoped to generate about five million jobs in the next five years by giving a major thrust to the industry.

The Minister said that with a view to giving a boost to the tourism sector, the Congress Government had enhanced the budgetary allocation by over 35 per cent.