Visakhapatnam to host beach festival in January 2025: Tourism Minister

On 6 October 2025, Kandula Durgesh, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Cinematography, visited Visakhapatnam and Alluri Sitharamaraju District. His itinerary included stops at Tenneti Park, Yatri Nivas, and Borra Caves. During his visit, he announced that the AP Tourism Policy is in development and set to be publicized this November, with implementation planned for April 2025. As part of improving tourism, a beach festival is planned to be held in Visakhapatnam in January 2025. Additionally, Kakinada and Bapatla will also host beach festivals.

While reviewing tourism projects in Visakhapatnam, Durgesh noted that several initiatives in the state have stalled under the guise of reconstruction. Visiting the Borra Caves in the ASR district, he said that tourism development activities would be set up there in collaboration with the Forest Department, and said that the tourist resorts there would be renovated.

Apart from introducing the beach festival in Visakhapatnam, the minister also addressed the Rushikonda constructions. He mentioned ongoing discussions with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, indicating that a decision would be reached in the coming two months.

With regard to the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Policy, Kandula Durgesh said that Central Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is also participating in the policy formulation. At the conference, he emphasized the need for special consideration for the region’s rich natural resources and environmental assets, advocating for their preservation and use in tourism. Additionally, two new policies will be introduced in Andhra Pradesh: “Swadeshi Darshan,” aimed at promoting domestic tourism, and “Prasad,” which focuses on temple tourism. He further said that two hotels by the Oberoi Group would be constructed in Amaravati.

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