Tourism unlimited

It is the world's biggest employer and rakes in foreign exchange by the millions. Yet the Tourism industry in our country manages to attract only a miniscule percentage of the world tourist traffic. The reasons are obvious, and Andhra Pradesh has not been able to buck this trend.

As one of the countries that has been targeted for repeated conquests, India has continued to represent a place,much sought after, for its diversity. Andhra Pradesh, has over the years been a home to an amalgamation of cultures, from the Bahmanis to the Asaf Jahis. The state has been on the tourist map, due to its strategic location dotted by numerous tourist spots.

The state capital Hyderabad, has naturally been the pivot from which the tourist traffic is generated. It's from here that the tourists move to other parts of the state. Rail, road and air connectivity with the city is pretty decent, and will see a remarkable improvement with the setting up of a new international airport and the completion of the golden quadrilateral.

Infrastructure, especially roads connecting interiors are quite poor and this for long, has been impeding tourists from extending their itinerary to other locations. 

The tourism department on its part is setting up quality accommodation through the 'Punnami' chain of hotels, and this has helped people, especially those visiting temple towns, to stay over for an extra day. A large part of the domestic tourism to the state, travels to religious destinations like Tirupati, Simhachalam,Bhadrachalam, Annavaram and Basra among others.

On the other hand, the growth of international tourists to the state is still a blip in the horizon. Goa and Kerala continue to be the major destinations for international tourists and Andhra Pradesh will have to use a unique selling proposition to hook these tourists. Buddhism is one of the aspects which can be developed, in an effort to rope in substantial number of tourists who travel from Japan and other far eastern countries.

For this, the state needs to invest in its marketing efforts and build a brand image which enables top of the mind recall. It will need to translate concept and plans into reality, so that tourists can seamlessly travel to various destinations. 

The Southern Splendour, the circular tourist train being planned to traverse the southern states, will ensure that tourists appreciate the tourist hot spots of Andhra Pradesh.

The Tourism department also needs to get the night bazaar concept in and around the Charminar area moving, and this would provide the fillip to big time, unhurried shopping. Convention tourism is big business in the far eastern countries and Hyderabad with its upcoming international convention center, can be positioned appropriately.

All in all, Andhra Pradesh has the potential to emerge as one of the country's tourist hot spots. To make that happen, a lot of effort needs to go into creating quality infrastructure, ensuring connectivity, building up awareness and brand building.
Frome : http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com