Tourism 2.0: Telangana calling!

As Telangana gears up for a brand new tourism policy to coax international tourists to put the state’s hot on their itineraries.


What comes to mind when you think of tourism in India? The Taj Mahal in Agra, Rajasthan’s palaces, or Goa’s beaches? But what about Telangana? For most, the state doesn’t feature beyond Hyderabad’s Charminar, biryani, haleem, or Irani chai.

“In Telangana, there isn’t much to see beyond Charminar, IT corridor and Ramoji Film City. Even in Hyderabad, cultural experiences are limited compared to other metros,” that’s what a tourist from Chennai had to say about Telangana tourism.

Yet Telangana has much more to offer, from the UNESCO-recognised Ramappa Temple in Mulugu and the Thousand Pillar Temple in Hanamkonda, to Buddhist sites in Dharmapuri and the Bogatha waterfalls. These, among others, are what the Telangana Tourism Development Corporation (TGTDC) hopes to spotlight through its new Telangana Tourism Policy (2025-30).

Despite its rich heritage, Telangana has been the least popular destination among southern states. In 2023, it recorded just over 1.6 lakh foreign tourists, compared to Karnataka’s 4 lakh, Kerala’s 6.5 lakh, Maharashtra’s 34 lakh, and Tamil Nadu’s much higher numbers. Officials admit the absence of a dedicated tourism policy until this year partly explains the low footfall.

Abdul Majid Faheem, ex-chairman, Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), said Telangana lags other states because the tourism sector here has so far been under-developed. “You look at the heritage monuments here, they are not well-maintained, nor are the tourist hotels. But if you look at other states that get a higher footfall, they have taken steps to ensure that tourism spots are well-taken care of,” he said.

Telangana govt officials attribute the low footfall to the lack of dedicated promotion and advertising and said the fo cus will now be on promoting the state’s attractions and providing an immersive and enjoyable experience for visitors in the process.

“Until now, we have not put in any dedicated efforts to push tourism in the state. So many of the international tourists who visit places like the Taj Mahal in Agra and the palaces in Rajasthan and the beaches in Goa are unaware that Telangana has many tourist attractions too,” said an official from the tourism department on condition of anonymity.
What’s in the store?

With “experiential tourism” becoming popular, Telangana plans to create 8–10 Special Tourism Attraction Zones (STAs), scaling up to 27 later.

The idea is to give visitors immersive cultural experiences rather than quick sightseeing.
“We want hotspots where tourists can spend a day or two, not just a few hours. That means adding activities beyond sightseeing,” said Jayesh Ranjan, special chief secretary (FAC), department of tourism & culture.
Citing Pochampally, known for its Ikat sarees, Ranjan suggested tourists could be shown weaving techniques, local food like ‘dosakaya pachadi’, vernacular architecture, and a textile museum. “For youngsters, we can add boating at the nearby lake or rock climbing at Bhuvanagiri,” he added.
Beyond conventional tourism

The state also plans to expand into medical tourism, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions), film tourism, and wedding destinations.

“Many overseas patients come to Hyderabad for treatment and leave immediately. Through a medical tourism website, we want them and their caregivers to explore the city and culture while here. Similarly, business tourism brings the largest foreign footfall, and we want to expand on that,” said Ranjan.

For wedding tourism, Telangana aims to provide not just luxury venues but affordable ones too. “Destination weddings shouldn’t remain exclusive to the wealthy. We want Telangana to be an ‘it’ destination for everyone,” Ranjan said.

On film tourism, he added, “We have some of India’s most scenic attractions and advanced studios. We’re inviting not just Bollywood but Hollywood as well.”

Other plans include heli-tourism, an artificial beach, eco-tourism projects, and revamping tourist hotels.
A key initiative is personalised tourism packages. Unlike pre-fixed tours, visitors can choose their itinerary.
“Think of it like a restaurant menu— tourists can pick experiences they want, instead of sticking to rigid schedules,” Ranjan explained.

Social media outreach

Recognising the power of digital platforms, the govt plans to revamp its online presence. “We live in a digital age. We want dynamic tourism websites, strong promotion strategies, and engaging social media campaigns,” Ranjan said.

The department hopes to generate creative, crowdsourced content. During the recent Miss World event in Hyderabad, for instance, they created a video package capturing contestants’ experiences across Telangana. “That’s the kind of engaging storytelling we want for general tourists too,” he added.


TGTDC director Valluru Kranthi is confident the new push will transform the state’s tourism sector.
“Our goal is to attract 10 crore domestic tourists and 10 lakh foreign visitors annually, raise the sector’s GDP contribution above 10%, bring in more investments, and create over three lakh jobs in five years. With these initiatives, Telangana can enter India’s top five tourism states,” she said.