News
27
Jan
AP tops in tourist arrivals
Last Updated on 24 February 2012
HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh topped in tourist arrivals in the country, with 12.9 crore travellers visiting the State last year, but it had not set any target for this year, according to Mr. Jayesh Ranjan, Secretary, Tourism, Youth Advancement and Culture Development, Andhra Pradesh. Talking to reporters after inaugurating 79th edition of Travel & Tourism Fair (TTF) here on Friday, the Tourism Secretary said: “Like other departments, we don’t set any targets to be achieved and even if we set targets, we don’t lose jobs in case those targets are not achieved.”
Lord Venkateswara continues to be the biggest tourist attraction in the State, with 8.8 crore devotees visiting his abode on seven hills last year.
According to him, the State received 7.6 lakh foreign tourists last year and the number might go up by around 80,000 this year. “Our state ranks seventh in terms of foreign tourist arrivals and we are initiating efforts to attract more foreign tourists as the State gets more revenue from them,” he added. The State generated Rs 400 crore from tourism activities; of which, Rs 120 crore went into Government coffers while the private sector generated the remaining amount.
Mr Ranjan said country registered unprecedented growth of 16 per cent in domestic tourist visits last year and poised to witness similar growth this year too.
On the TTF, he said such trade fairs would be of great support for the State to increase tourist arrivals. “It will be of more help for the State if such events are organized into Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Warangal,” he said.
Mr Sanjiv Agarwal, Chairman and CEO, Fairfest Media Ltd, said more than 125 domestic and outbound travel organizations from India and abroad were participating in the three-day fair which would conclude on Sunday.
“There is no admission fee for the fair and we are encouraging families to visit the fair which offers plenty of travel options for all kinds of travelers,” he said.
Started in 1989, Fairfest Media Ltd had been organizing TTF in eight Indian cities and it would move to Kolkata where it would be held from July 31 to August 2.
Lord Venkateswara continues to be the biggest tourist attraction in the State, with 8.8 crore devotees visiting his abode on seven hills last year.
According to him, the State received 7.6 lakh foreign tourists last year and the number might go up by around 80,000 this year. “Our state ranks seventh in terms of foreign tourist arrivals and we are initiating efforts to attract more foreign tourists as the State gets more revenue from them,” he added. The State generated Rs 400 crore from tourism activities; of which, Rs 120 crore went into Government coffers while the private sector generated the remaining amount.
Mr Ranjan said country registered unprecedented growth of 16 per cent in domestic tourist visits last year and poised to witness similar growth this year too.
On the TTF, he said such trade fairs would be of great support for the State to increase tourist arrivals. “It will be of more help for the State if such events are organized into Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Warangal,” he said.
Mr Sanjiv Agarwal, Chairman and CEO, Fairfest Media Ltd, said more than 125 domestic and outbound travel organizations from India and abroad were participating in the three-day fair which would conclude on Sunday.
“There is no admission fee for the fair and we are encouraging families to visit the fair which offers plenty of travel options for all kinds of travelers,” he said.
Started in 1989, Fairfest Media Ltd had been organizing TTF in eight Indian cities and it would move to Kolkata where it would be held from July 31 to August 2.