Tirupati to be developed as a major tourism hub: Collector

Tirupati: District Collector Dr S Venkateswar outlined the district’s unified approach to developing tourism and hospitality sectors, with a vision to position Tirupati as a leading destination. A programme to felicitate the winners of Tourism excellence awards from Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on September 27 with their significant contributions to the tourism and hospitality sectors was held here on Monday. Speaking on the occasion, the Collector expressed his pride in Tirupati district being recognised as the ‘Best District for Tourism Promotion’ in Andhra Pradesh for 2023-24. The district received five awards under the ‘Award of Excellence’ category, a testament to the district’s remarkable progress in the tourism and hospitality sectors. He highlighted the opportunities for further development in these sectors, with constant review by the state’s Chief Secretary.

He outlined the district’s focus on three key areas – Heritage and Spiritual Tourism, Leisure Tourism and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) Tourism. Iconic spiritual sites such as Tirumala, Srikalahasti and Surutupalli will be part of a circuit tourism promotion plan. For leisure tourism, he mentioned the rich forest cover, which comprises 35 percent of the district, home to picturesque waterfalls like Talakona, Narayanagiri and Kailasagiri.

The Collector also highlighted efforts to promote MICE Tourism, with facilities like the Zoo Park and world-class institutes such as the Culinary Institute, Sanskrit University, IIT and IISER contributing to the district’s appeal.

Dr Venkateswar noted that the district sees a daily footfall of around 80,000 to over 1,00,000 visitors, with 4.16 crore people visiting in 2023-24. He emphasised that retaining 10-15 per cent of these visitors for extended stays would significantly enhance transport, hospitality and tourism sectors, generating employment and boosting revenue.Joint Collector Shubham Bansal, District Revenue Officer K Penchala Kishore, Regional Director of Tourism Dr R Ramana Prasad, Tourism Officer Rupendranath Reddy and others were present. GM of Taj Hotels Ritesh Chowdary, Tirupati Station Director K Satyanarayana and others were felicitated by the Collector. Indira Priyadarshini, a law student from SPMVV was recognised as the Best Social Media Influencer, while Krishnamurthy of Balaji Wood Carving Artisans Society was acknowledged for his contributions to art and culture.