Incredible Andhra

SANGEETHA DEVI K / TNN / Dec 27, 2005, 20:47 IST

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Post Kalachakra 2006, authorities are hoping that Buddhist destinations will be the USP of tourism in the state

The new year is about to begin and it's the right time to usher in new beginnings. The state government is embarking on a whole new set of projects, both long-term and short-term, which it hopes will give tourism a fillip.
To begin with, a number of government departments are working in tandem to play perfect hosts for Kalachakra 2006, which will begin with the Dalai Lama's visit early next week.
Project Kalachakra
"Most of the visitors will be Tibetian monks. On the first day, we expect 25,000 visitors and as the event progresses this number will rise to 1,50,000.

Haryana

Jammu & Kashmir

Haryana

Alliance View
i
Party View

Seats: 90

Results

Majority: 46

BJP

CONG

INLD

AAP

OTH

Results: 90/90

BJP WON

Source: PValue

Many monks will be given tent accommodation at Amaravati since there aren't enough guesthouses," informs J Raymond Peter, chairman and managing director, AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC)....
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Andhra is home to 144 Buddhist sites, out of which 55 are under development. New measures are on the anvil to promote Buddhist tourism. J Kedareshwari, director, department of archaeology and museums, says, "A Holy Relic Gallery at the AP State Museum in Hyderabad, an interpretation centre at Amaravati, and the Buddhist Theme Park at Nagarjuna Konda, will be opened by the Dalai Lama.

The interpretation centre will be one of its kinds in India and in a few years, will grow into a study centre."
Long-term focus
Today, Nagarjuna Sagar and Amaravati are the most frequented destinations in AP for those looking to learn more about the Mahayana school of Buddhism....
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One of the longterm projects aims at developing more tourist circuits for Buddhism, sprucing up guesthouses, and restoration of monuments.
Authorities at the APTDC tell us that Buddhist tourism will be bolstered once the international airport at Shamshabad has been completed, since Buddhist sites attract a number of foreign tourists.
A few hiccups, too
"The new airport, which will be ready by 2007-2008, can cater to over 10 million passengers. But what we lack is infrastructure.
Even at the moment, with Kalachakra, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Gitex and ADP general body meeting coming up in the first half of 2006, Hyderabad faces a shortage of 2000 to 3000 hotel rooms....
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A lot needs to be done in this area. New luxury hotels are coming up, and we are also looking to tie up with budget hotels to provide quality accommodation to tourists," says Raymond Peter.
The state, at present, gets 0.5 million international tourists every year. According to a projection given by McKinsey, this is expected to go up to 1.1 million by 2020.
But since this survey was done before plans for the international airport came up, the government is gearing up for higher numbers.
What's infrastructure without the right people? So, the National Institute for Tourism and Hotel Management is working overtime to train tourism executives....
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"These executives will be well informed about the history of Buddhist tourist sites. The overhaul will start from the grassroots. We don't want tourists being taken for a ride by auto and taxi drivers at the airport," adds Raymond Peter.
For now, officials are keeping their fingers crossed and hoping that AP will become the hub of Buddhist tourism in India.

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