Naidu Pitches ‘Maldives-Style’ Island Tourism

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday called for developing island and beach tourism in the state on the lines of the Maldives, urging officials to draw up a comprehensive master plan. Addressing the State Investment Promotion Board meeting, he said destinations like Suryalanka beach should be developed across a 15-km stretch as pollution-free zones, while nearby islands around Sullurpeta could be transformed into premium tourism hubs.

Naidu said the state could attract large numbers of domestic and international tourists by creating at least 25,000 hotel rooms and strengthening tourism clusters across Papikondalu-Polavaram, Konaseema, Pulicat, Visakhapatnam, and Gandikota. He set an ambitious target of generating ₹1,000 crore revenue through the Tourism Corporation over the next 15 years.

The SIPB meeting also approved 14 projects worth ₹19,391 crore across tourism, energy, food processing, and industrial sectors, expected to generate over 11,700 jobs. Highlighting renewed investor confidence, Naidu said Andhra Pradesh’s brand image has been restored, with major companies stepping in, and urged officials to maintain speed, coordination, and error-free governance to sustain growth.