Tourism Minister flags off bus on spiritual tour

Minister for Tourism Kandula Durgesh, accompanied by MLAs Battula Balaramakrishna and Nallamilli Ramakrishna Reddy, flagged to the bus meant for spiritual tours at Saraswati ghat here on Saturday.
Speaking on the occasion, Kandula Durgesh revealed that a one-day spiritual tour package of the combined East Godavari district has been launched under the auspices of APTDC to promote State tourism.
The Tourism Minister said that in spiritual tourism, people could visit famous temples during the day and return to their homes on the same day.  The current tourism policy would come to an end in March 2025 and the new tourism policy would be unveiled in April 2025, he announced, adding that endeavours began to formulate a new tourism policy. The filling of vacant direct posts in the Tourism department is being considered, he disclosed.
“It has been decided to develop eco, adventure, wellness and temple tourism in the State with the Central government schemes such as Swadeshi Darshan and PRASAD schemes and we hope to achieve successful results by combining all these into tourism circuits,” the Tourism Minister asserted.  
He highlighted that a Cabinet sub-committee was constituted to develop tourism in the State coordinating the forest, endowment and tourism departments. Taking a dig at the erstwhile YSRCP regime, the Tourism Minister deplored that the tourism sector was ruined during the five years previous government.
Minister Durgesh stated that Rishikonda Beach has been certified as a Blue Fog Beach and Kakinada Beach, Suryalanka Beach, Ramapuram Beach and Maipadu Beach in the Nellore district would be upgraded into Blue Fog Beaches. MLA Adireddy Srinivas and State tourism board member Ganta Swaroop Devi were among those who were present.