A.P. Star Hotels Association calls for swift reforms to boost tourism sector

A delegation from the Andhra Pradesh Star Hotels Association (ASHA) met Shamsher Singh Rawat on Tuesday, who assumed charge as the Special Chief Secretary of the Department of Tourism.

As part of their interaction with Mr. Rawat, the members, led by the association president R.V. Swamy, presented a report on “Strategic Assessment of Andhra Pradesh Tourism (2024–2029)” acknowledging the government’s progressive tourism policies and recent efforts to attract major domestic and international hotel investments. The association members also highlighted the need for faster implementation of reforms to strengthen tourism infrastructure and investment across the State.

Among its key recommendations, ASHA sought immediate implementation of incentives for tourism MSMEs to encourage local businesses in food, entertainment, wellness, adventure and visitor experiences. It also proposed establishing a permanent government-industry platform to promote tourism, investments, MICE activities and destination weddings.

The association called for stronger coordination between the Tourism and Endowments departments and suggested a long-stay strategy for Tirupati, with the approach later extended to other major religious destinations. It also proposed developing Amaravati as an integrated tourism, entertainment and MICE hub.

The members stressed the importance of skilling, affordable accommodation, homestays, digital tourism services and stronger district-level execution and expressed confidence that the new leadership would accelerate tourism development, investment and employment generation.

Newly-appointed CEO of Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority (APTA) and Managing Director of the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) Ravi Pattanshetti was also present on the occasion.