The Jagan government on Saturday issued the AP Tourism Trade (Registration and Facilitation) Guidelines, 2020 to with an aim to project the state as a tourist destination.

As per the guidelines, the Andhra Pradesh government will ensure linkages with tourism departments of other states, national and internationally-renowned travel and tourism players, travel and tourism-related associations and societies. Registration would become mandatory for all tourism-related trade establishments and service providers to be eligible for any government-sponsored initiatives, incentives, subsidies and schemes.

The guidelines are expected to simplify the registration of tourism trade similar to those in practice at the Union Ministry of Tourism and in states like Goa, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, and Karnataka. Currently, there is no mechanism to register the tourism trade operators, which was essential for the maintenance of statistical information for planning and development.