AP Govt open to global-scale theme parks

The Andhra Pradesh government is ready to support the establishment of international-standard theme parks and entertainment destinations in the state, Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh informed the Legislative Assembly on Friday. He said the coalition government is keen to attract private investment to develop world-class tourism infrastructure under the AP Tourism Policy 2024-29.

Responding to a question raised by Burlu Ram Anjaneyulu regarding the possibility of setting up a Disney-style theme park at Karnuthala village in Vatticherukuru mandal of Guntur district, the minister said the government would extend full support if investors come forward to implement such a project on the proposed 171.14-acre site.

Durgesh clarified that mega entertainment projects like Disney World or Universal Studios typically require investments ranging from Rs 35,000 crore to Rs 60,000 crore and are usually developed and operated by private corporations globally. “The role of the government is limited to facilitating the project by providing land, necessary approvals and incentives,” he explained.

The minister noted that the state government has accorded “industry status” to the tourism sector and introduced significant incentives through the AP Tourism Policy 2024-29 to attract large-scale investments. Under the policy framework, the government is offering capital investment subsidies of up to Rs 40 crore, along with 5-10 percent support on fixed capital investment.

Projects will also benefit from 100 percent reimbursement of State GST for 7 to 15 years, and 50–100 percent reimbursement of EPF and ESI contributions for three years. For mega and ultra-mega tourism projects, the government may offer additional customized incentives on a case-by-case basis, the minister said.

Durgesh informed the Assembly that the Tourism Department has already held discussions with prominent amusement park operators such as Imagicaa and Wonderla, which currently run theme parks in cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. According to the minister, these companies have expressed interest in developing projects in Tirupati and Visakhapatnam, indicating growing investor attention toward Andhra Pradesh’s tourism sector.

The minister explained that world-famous theme parks such as Disney World and Universal Studios are typically located in major metropolitan regions like Orlando and Los Angeles in the United States, Tokyo in Japan, Paris in France, and Shanghai in China, where large tourist footfalls and strong spending capacity sustain such ventures.

He added that during the recently held Visakha Partnership Summit, the Tourism Department signed 102 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 18,448 crore, including three agreements related to theme park projects.

Reiterating the government’s commitment, the minister said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has given clear directions to encourage large tourism investments. If private investors express interest in developing a Disney-style project at the proposed site in Karnuthala village, the state government would extend full cooperation.