Andhra Pradesh attracts 9.78 cr tourists till August 2016

Andhra Pradesh has registered 20 per cent growth in tourist arrivals in the first 8 months of 2016 over the corresponding period last year. The state which has some of the most pristine beaches, hill stations, temples, backwaters etc. have recorded 9.78 cr tourist footfalls till August in this year. The figures reflect a massive increase in foreign tourist arrivals; till August as many as 2.32 lakh foreigners visited the state which is a whopping growth of 122 per cent compared to the corresponding data
last year. Anantapur district which houses the famous Puttaparthi and Lord Veerbhadra temple at Lepakshi, became the most visited destination by foreign tourists. Majority of the foreign tourists were from the South – East Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Middle East countries such as Dubai among others.
Andhra Pradesh also registered domestic footfalls of 9.76 Cr during the period as against 8.14 Cr in the last year, which is an increase of 20%. The state has witnessed a lot of traction from tourists who came for business, education and pilgrimage.
Dr. Srikant Nagulapalli, I.A.S., Secretary to Government, Tourism & Culture, said, “The tourist arrivals into the state is very encouraging and will motivate us to work harder to progress towards our endeavor of creating a tourism friendly environment in the state. Our focus on fast tracking projects will eventually enhance
infrastructure and engagement at tourist sites.”