In a big boost to the development of tourism attractions, the has taken up Coastal Zone Tourism Master Plan (CZTMP) in all the 12 coastal districts. Joint teams comprising officials from tourism, Fisheries department and fisheries university have started the massive exercise to identify the suitable locations to develop as beaches along the coast. The teams have already identified nearly 289 beaches while the survey was completed last week and reports were forwarded to the district collectors.
The state government has asked the district collectors to finalise the consultations with the stakeholders and finalise the report for development of beaches in their respective districts. The district collectors have been asked to complete the work before the AP Coastal Zone Management Authority (APCZMA) notified the draft Coastal Regulatory Zone, 2019 maps. The finalization of plans for development of the beaches have been put on fast track and decided to complete the work before the CRZ maps are notified. This will help push the Growth of entire coastal area in attraction of the tourists, said APTDC managing director K Kannababu.
Interestingly, Srikakulam, considered to be the backward district in the state, is likely to get major push as the survey teams identified highest number of beaches-60 in the district. While Nellore district has 40 potential spots to develop as beaches, Bapatla district has about 28 points. The famous beach city,Visakhapatnamhas around 24 spots in the entire district. Subsequent to the finalization of the potential tourist spots along the coast, the state government will rope in private developers to take up design and develop the beaches with resorts and recreation facilities.
Meanwhile, the state government has set several projects on fast track. Eco-tourism projects are coming up in five locations while Oberai group is getting ready for the construction of five star hotels in five separate tourist locations including Gandikota, Horsley Hills and Pichuka Lanka. While DPRs are ready for two ropeway projects, feasibility study to take up ropeway projects in three other locations is underway. State government signed MoUs with private developers at GIS with an expected Investment of 20,000 crore in tourism projects in which the projects worth nearly 10,000 crore were pipelined.