HYDERABAD: Several world-class hospitality, leisure, lifestyle and entertainment tourism projects will come up along the Visakhapatnam beach involving an investment of Rs 2,000 crores. The projects will be executed over 1,000-1,200 acres under a comprehensive scheme, "Destination Vizag," by M/s Vizag Beach Resorts Pvt Ltd in coordination with the Tourism Department. The company signed an MoU with the department at the Secretariat on Tuesday in the presence of Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and Tourism Minister J. Geetha Reddy.

A five-star hotel, hotel complexes, beach resorts, golf courses, health spa, multi-theme parks, therapeutic dolphin park, convention/exhibition centres, multiplexes and mega shopping malls are to be constructed. A fleet of classic and luxury cars, marine helicopters, seaplanes (amphibians) will be made available at these proposed facilities.

Expert consultant

Promoted by NRIs, the company is described as an expert in developing and financing mega tourism projects such as golf courses and water parks, with a network spread over the US, the UK, Spain, Kuwait and Dubai.

The Chief Minister reiterated his commitment to develop Visakhapatnam as an international tourist and business destination with world-class facilities. From the Government side, plans have been drawn up to train local men to run the projects. Ms. Geetha Reddy and Pradeep Sabharwal, chairman of the company, later told presspersons that community development activities would also be taken up under the project to improve amenities for local communities. Facilities would be increased at the Zoo Park and the 30-km coastline.

They said some 45,000 foreign tourists were expected to visit the place annually once the projects were completed. They would earn foreign exchange of Rs 550 crores and contribute Rs 112 crores to the local economy.

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