Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

PATA travel mart from September 16

HYDERABAD: The prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart -2008 to be held here from September 16 will be a great opportunity to catapult the State into the international tourism map and attract investments in tourism sector, Tourism Minister A. Ramanarayana Reddy said here on Saturday.

Addressing media persons aboard Khairunnisa Boat on Hussain Sagar, the Minister said that PATA was being organised in India after 17 years and for the first time in city. About 1,500 delegates related to travel and tourism industry and government representatives from 90 countries would attend the four-day meet at HICC.

“Though the State has the longest coastline of 964 km, coastal tourism has not got enough resources so far because of other priority sector funding. But now, the government is keen on promoting different tourism circuits and get investments to bolster tourism infrastructure,” he said.

Given the magnitude of the conference, Chief Minister himself was closely monitoring the arrangements and Rs.6 crore had been earmarked for the event which would also get support from the Union government.

Determined to make most of the event, Tourism Department and APTDC were gearing up to showcase tourist destinations.

Mr. Reddy said that 1,220 rooms had been booked in 12 star hotels, while 30 new Volvo coaches, 20 hi-tech A/C coaches and 1,000 call taxis with GPS facility would be pressed into service. Packaged tours would also be organised for delegates to major tourist destinations in and around city.

Principal Secretary, Tourism, Laxmi Parthasarathy, said appointments were already secured with representatives of Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Dubai and 45 travel and tour operators.

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