Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to promote large-scale homestays in temple towns across Andhra Pradesh, with a special focus on Tirupati and other major pilgrim centres. Stressing the need to create authentic rural experiences in Konaseema, he asked officials to develop homestays that meet international standards and attract investment from NRIs.

Reviewing the tourism department at the Secretariat on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said Andhra Pradesh must be positioned as a global tourism destination. He set ambitious targets for accommodation: 10,000 new hotel rooms by March 2026 and 50,000 by 2029.

He instructed officials to identify land in all 175 constituencies for tourism projects and to ensure continuous events in cities such as Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Amaravati, Tirupati, Anantapur, and Kurnool.

Naidu emphasised integrated development of ports, industrial hubs, and tourism facilities. He asked officials to explore setting up a Disney World City in Anantapur and involve private partners in adopting heritage sites like Kondapalli Fort.

Projects under consideration include a light-and-sound show at Undavalli Caves, eco-tourism at Chintapalli, elephant safaris in Kuppam, a dolphin show in Visakhapatnam, and tent cities at Gandikota, Lambasingi, and Surya Lanka.

The Chief Minister also reviewed projects under Central schemes. He directed speeding up of works at Borra Caves, Araku, and Lambasingi under the Swadesh Darshan programme, and sought faster progress on development works at Simhachalam and Annavaram temples under PRASAD. The Rs 97-crore Surya Lanka Beach Experience project is expected to be ready by June 2026.

Naidu directed officials to develop Rajamahendravaram as a special tourism hub, create attractive beachfronts along the coastline, and open new heli-tourism and seaplane routes such as Vijayawada–Srisailam, Gandikota–Bengaluru, and Visakhapatnam–Araku. He also called for promoting sea cruises, river cruises, and cottage-style village tourism in Konaseema.

Tourism branding will feature unique Andhra products such as Araku coffee, red sanders handicrafts, Kondapalli toys, Kuchipudi dance, and handloom textiles from Mangalagiri, Dharmavaram, and Venkatagiri. He approved plans for a curtain-raiser event ahead of the upcoming Godavari Pushkaralu and suggested celebrating World Tourism Day with a festival at Surya Lanka.

The Chief Minister underlined tourist safety, warning that even a minor incident could harm the state’s image. He insisted on clean, well-lit cities during festivals, especially in Vijayawada, which will host Dasara celebrations from September 22 to October 2 on the scale of Mysuru Dasara.

He also reviewed six ancient Telugu palm-leaf manuscripts selected for display at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Tourism minister Kandula Durgesh attended the review virtually, along with senior officials.