Tourism Minister Vatti Vasantha Kumar, on Saturday, said that Andhra Pradesh has registered an 8% growth in tourism despite various agitations witnessed in the state.
Talking to media persons after releasing a Tourism diary and a 2012 calendar of AP Tourism Development Corporation at his chambers in the Secretariat, the minister said that 15 crore visitors, both domestic and foreign, visited the state this year.
Among the 15 crore visitors, 7.5 lakh visitors came from abroad.
He also said that the state has a lot of potential for tourism. According to the minister, the private sector could play a crucial role in the growth of tourism to Andhra Pradesh.
He added that the government was giving top priority to the development of the tourism industry under the Public Private Partnership mode.
Vasantha Kumar told the press that the government has proposed a Rs. 2,000 crore plan to develop the tourism industry, with financial backing from the Centre, in the next 5 years.
"The proposals have been submitted to the Centre in this regard," he said.
The minister said that the government would appoint a committee to look into the regularization of contract employees and outsourced employees in the tourism sector.
He said that the government would take a final decision on the issue, based on the committee's report. (INN)