Andhra sees 30% growth in tourist arrivals in 2015

International arrivals up more than three-fold at 237,000 visitors in 2015, mostly from Southeast Asia and Gulf

Andhra Pradesh has witnessed 121.83 million tourist arrivals in 2015, as against 93.3 million in 2014, registering a growth of 30 per cent.

"In our endeavour to make Andhra Pradesh as India's most preferred tourist destination, this data comes to us as a great encouragement. With a focused strategy in place, we are hopeful of this growth momentum to be replicated year after year going forward," principal secretary (tourism and culture) Neerabh Kumar Prasad said in a release.

Anantapur district, which houses Puttaparthi and Lord Veerbhadra temple at Lepakshi, became the most visited destination by foreign tourists with a footfall of 137,000 foreigners in 2015.

Among international tourist arrivals, 237,000 tourists visited the state during 2015, as against 66,333 in 2014. A majority of the foreign tourists were from the Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and West Asian countries like Dubai, the statement said.