The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) Chairman A. Varaprasad Reddy on Friday said many international firms had expressed willingness to set up tourism projects in the State.
Mr. Varaprasad Reddy has just returned after participating in the “Europe Expo 2022” organised by the International Association of Attractions and Amusement Parks (IAAPA) in London from September 12 to 15, where he held talks with representatives of various global firms on the opportunities offered by the State.
More than 500 manufacturers, designers and operators of amusement parks, theme parks, water parks and family entertainment centres participated in the four-day event that also included seminars, lectures, meetings of industry experts and training sessions.
Mr. Reddy said he met representatives of various firms and explained to them the wide range of opportunities available in the State for investment in the tourism sector, the incentives and support extended to the investors under the New Tourism Policy of Andhra Pradesh, availability of land banks in the State for tourism projects, details of the long sea coast, the scenic, religious and historical locations and the vision of the Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The Tourism Corporation chief said he had invited them to become a part of the tourism growth story in the State, elaborating to them the different models of partnership the State government was considering. They included direct investment by foreign companies, investment through joint ventures and consortiums, supporting projects through technology transfer and supplying equipment to entrepreneurs across the State, arranging credit for projects taken up here and imparting training to the manpower by international experts through skill development programmes.
He said he had met representatives of Intamin Worldwide from Switzerland, a leading manufacturer of amusement rides and monorails. “This firm would be part of the Sky Tower project proposed in Visakhapatnam with an investment of ₹100 crore,” he said.
With the Polin Group from Turkey, a world-wide leader in water parks and aquariums, Mr. Reddy discussed the tunnel aquarium project proposed at Visakhapatnam at an estimated cost of ₹100 crore. Germany-based amusement rides’ manufacturer Huss Park Attractions was ready to develop amusement parks in the State and Aerodium of Canada would be part of the sky diving project coming up at Gandikota, he said.
Aerophile and Extremeventures from France, NeverPlast from Italy, Turkey-based DOF, WhitewaterWest from Canada, Attraction from Switzerland and Concept 1900 from France were other firms keen on investing in projects in the State, he said.
