Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good afternoon to you all.

1. Let me first thank all of you for coming to the Indian Embassy to attend the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Road Show, which is being organized by Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) in association with the Indian Embassy in Beijing.

2. Most of you must be aware of the ‘Incredible India’ campaign about tourism in India. I am told that this campaign is very popular with stakeholders in the tourism industry in China. But now many states in India have also started taking lead in promoting their respective tourism industries. Andhra Pradesh is one of such states. In fact, events like this Road Show give a unique opportunity to the Indian states to establish direct interface with the Chinese outbound tourism industry which can go a long way in attracting tourists from China. Even as foreign tourist arrivals in India is growing at a fast pace, China has also emerged as one of the largest outbound tourism markets. Opportunities like this should be utilized to take advantage of synergy between the two markets.

3. Andhra Pradesh not only abounds in natural scenic beauty, which includes a long coastline dotted with pristine beaches, serene forests and hills, but it is also full of heritage and cultural sites rich in historical value. The famous Char Minar of Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, best symbolizes the historical heritage of the state. Places like the Golkunda Fort and Salarjang Museum attract tourists from around the world.

4. It is a less known fact that the state of Andhra Pradesh also abounds in Buddhist shrines and temples, which may also interest Chinese outbound traveller. Places like Nagarjunakonda and Amravati are one of the oldest Buddhist sites in India and are worth a visit for those interested in Buddhist tourism.

5. I hope this Road Show will give you a good introduction to the tourism potential of the state of Andhra Pradesh and will encourage you to facilitate more and more visits of Chinese tourists to the state.

Thank you.
Speech by Dr. B. BalaBhaskar, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, Beijing at the Andhra PradeshTourism Road Show
( 20 March 2013 )