Visakhapatnam, Sept. 10 -- The three-day 41st Annual Convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) began here on Thursday, with Andhra Pradesh Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh highlighting the state's efforts to position tourism as a major driver of economic growth and employment.
The convention, themed "India - The World's Next Tourism Opportunity", was inaugurated at a hotel in Visakhapatnam in the presence of union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu.
Durgesh said Andhra Pradesh was being developed as a major tourism destination and urged tour operators to promote the state's diverse attractions through two-, three-, four- and seven-day packages.
He said tourism had been accorded industry status under the...