Telangana Emerge as a New Brand; More Tour Packages and Projects on the Way

KOCHI:
The 29th state of India, Telangana is promoting various initiatives in the tourism development scenario, says B. Venkateswararao, State Secretary for Tourism Telangana. He was speaking at the interactive session held at Kochi. Active steps are being taken by the government to attract tourists to various destinations of the State. The first step is to create a separate identity and build a brand for Telangana Tourism and take the new logo to the public.
Initial discussions are already conducted, to co-operate with Kerala Government and act on a joint basis in the tourism sector. Telengana aims to model Kerala, as the top most destination of tourists, he added. Telengana is the land of heritage spots, tasty delicacies and various festivals. For the youngest state of Telangana has a rich architectural history. The Palace of Nisam and the wonders therein like the dining table that can dine 100 people at a time, the artifacts made by local people, Baathukaama, the single floral festival celebrated by women in the world etc are some of the amazing visuals awaiting you, he also added.
The vision of the Tourism Department is to consolidate the positioning of Hyderabad as a global tourist destination and attract tourists to lesser known destinations in the state.
The support/funding of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, is being sought for the development of infrastructure at various tourism destinations, identification and creation of theme-based tourism circuits, setting up of specific tourism projects viz., sound & light shows etc.
Telangana Tourism is promoting Eco Tourism destinations for nature enthusiasts, in the Wild Life Sanctuaries at Srisailam-Nagarjuna Sagar (Amarabad Wildlife Sanctuary), Kawal (Adilabad District) and Kinnersani (Khammam District) and Kadem Reservoir (Adilabad District).
Apart from the above, efforts are being made for the development of new tourism products viz., Tribal Circuit at Warangal and Yadagirigutta (Nalgonda District) as spiritual tourism destinations.
Telangana is blessed with vast areas of tribal habitat, as well as rich art and artefacts. The Government is trying to create a platform for the development of tribal destinations, attracting more footfalls without disturbing the ambience, thereby promoting local arts, handicrafts, facilitating in the creation of local employment. The State aims to consolidate the position of Hyderabad as a global tourist destination and attract the tourists to lesser known destinations as well.
Telangana is emerging as a destination for investment due to its proactive, investor-friendly policies.
Telangana Tourism has received 7.14 crores of domestic tourist arrivals till December 2016, as against 9.45 crores in the year 2015 and 7.23 crores in the year 2014. With regard to the foreign tourist arrivals, there have been about 1.67 lakhs visitors till December 2016, as against 1.26 lakhs in the year 2015 and 0.75 lakhs in 2014.
As far as issues with river tourism (with neighbouring state Andhra Pradesh) is concerned, the State has tied up with ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Authority) to start boating services at Papikondalu in Bhadrachalam, as well as put in a proposal to undertake boating on the left bank of Nagarjuna Sagar.
Telangana is not only Hyderabad. It also houses the heritage site of Kakatiya Fort, Ramappa Temple and the Thousand Pillar Temple at Warangal – a treat for the spiritually inclined. Lord Sri Ram Temple at Bhadrachalam (Khammam District), Jogulamba Temple (one of the 18 Shakti Peetams at Mahbubnagar District), Kolanunpaka Jain Temple (Nalgonda District), Mecca Masjid (Hyderabad) and the Medak Church (Medak District) are also renowned religious attractions.
The state of Telangana is endowed with rich heritage sites from the city of Hyderabad – with the Charminar, Golconda Fort, Qutub Shahi Tombs, Chowmahalla Palace, Paigah Tombs and many more, to Warangal – the seat of the Kakatiya Dynasty. Telangana Tourism is currently organising various package tours within Hyderabad and Warangal, covering all the major heritage sites in these cities. The State Government is also developing various projects and strengthening the available infrastructure in regions that have a good potential in heritage tourism, with funds from the State and Central Government.
Hospitality and tourism are some of the industries most affected by digital development. Transportation and accommodation companies are among the first to utilise digital mark
eting techniques to engage communities and make sure their customers have the best possible away-from- home experience. In order to perform well and gain a competitive advantage, Telangana Tourism is always looking for the newest and best ways to reach their buyer persona and tailor their offerings to suit the requirements of visitors/tourists.
Hyderabad has many reputed hotels. Other parts of the state too have decent tourist infrastructure that is owned not only by the private sector, but also by the Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC). The State Government aims to develop tourism infrastructure and introduce more package tours covering/connecting major tourism destinations within and outside the state. It is also involved in many areas/activities such as hotels, resorts, wayside amenities, tourist packages, boating, sound & light shows etc. Various Tour operators in Kerala participated in the meet.