AP Tourism unveils ‘Hidden Wonders’ thru innovative campaign
Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department has launched a pioneering digital initiative to showcase the state’s lesser-known destinations and rural culture at the national level, giving a fresh impetus to rural tourism through social media influencers.
Tourism, Culture and Cinematography Minister Kandula Durgesh said here on Sunday that the government’s vision is to transform every rural region of Andhra Pradesh into a unique tourism destination, rather than confining tourism promotion to a handful of popular locations.
The minister expressed satisfaction over the remarkable success of an innovative digital campaign undertaken in strategic partnership with travel organisation Volunteer Yatra, under the supervision of Special Chief Secretary (Tourism) Ajay Jain and Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Managing Director Amrapali Kata. The campaign, executed at a relatively low cost, has delivered high-impact results and earned wide national recognition for AP Tourism.
As part of the initiative, the Tourism Department collaborated with prominent social media influencers to promote authentic, on-ground travel experiences instead of conventional commercial advertisements. The campaign was conducted in two phases and yielded impressive outcomes.
In the first phase, from December 13 to 20, 2025, eleven well-known influencers from Delhi, Rajasthan, Assam, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh toured Visakhapatnam, Araku Valley and Lambasingi. During their week-long journey, they created around 80–100 high-quality videos, including cinematic travel films, drone shots and reels. These visuals reached over 4 million viewers across social media platforms, significantly boosting the visibility of AP’s scenic destinations nationwide.
The second phase was held from January 13 to 17, 2026, coinciding with Sankranti celebrations in Konaseema. Influencers from cities such as Ayodhya, Kolkata, Mumbai and Odisha experienced traditional festivities including Bhogi bonfires, Prabhala Teertham and local customs, and shared their experiences online. Through just 30 reels, this phase alone generated nearly 5 million views, bringing national attention to destinations such as Atreyapuram, Antarvedi and Rajamahendravaram, with special focus on the Prabhala Theertham festival. Minister Kandula Durgesh noted that the influencer-driven model, inspired by the vision of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, has proven to be economically efficient and highly effective. Within a month, the campaign generated over 1,000 booking enquiries, which were promptly routed to registered tour operators in the State.
This directly benefited local home-stays, tribal guides and artisans, strengthening rural livelihoods while building a rich digital content bank for AP Tourism.
Encouraged by the success, the Tourism Department, in collaboration with Volunteer Yatra, is now preparing future plans to develop ‘Art Villages’ and expand the home-stay network across the State. So far, 11 key videos—covering the Vizag and Konaseema circuits—have garnered more than 9 million views.
Officials said more hidden destinations will be promoted through similar campaigns in the coming days, and the content can be viewed on the official social media platforms of the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department.
