Hyderabad: The government will develop a comprehensive master plan for Special Tourism Areas (STAs), focusing on six key circuits - spiritual, heritage, eco-wellness, crafts, water, and Buddhist circuits.
Under the heritage circuits, clusters will also be developed as part of a broader tourism strategy. Officials said the department is currently preparing detailed master plans covering all six primary circuits.
The spiritual circuit includes major pilgrimage centres such as Yadadri Temple, Bhadrachalam Temple, Basara, Vemulawada, Alampur-Somasila, Ramappa, Kaleshwaram and Medak.
The heritage circuit covers Warangal, Nalgonda, Palakurthi, Karimnagar, the Charminar cluster, and the Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Medchal cluster.
The eco-wellness circuit includes Siddipet, the Nallamala circuit, Sriram Sagar, Jannaram, Tribal circuit, Nagarjuna Sagar, Vikarabad and Mahbubnagar.
For the crafts circuit, the focus is on Pochampally, Narayanpet and Gadwal-Kothakota, known for their traditional handloom and artisan heritage.
The water circuit includes Koratikal, Kuntala, Pochera and Gayatri waterfalls, aimed at promoting nature-based tourism.
The Buddhist circuit highlights historically significant sites such as Kondapur, Dhulikatta, Karukonda, Nelakondapalli, Buddhavanam, Phanigiri and Gajulabanda.
Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao on Monday held a high-level review meeting on tourism projects in the state. Officials briefed him on ongoing and proposed initiatives, along with a district-wise breakdown of works worth `274.93 crore.
The minister directed officials to speed up the completion of tourism projects and ensure timely public accessibility. He stressed strict adherence to monthly timelines for all ongoing and proposed works.
He also suggested modernisation of tourism infrastructure, including replacing traditional boats with modern vessels and introducing additional boating facilities at Somasila. The minister further proposed exploring cantilever glass viewpoints, similar to those in Russia and China, at scenic and high-altitude locations.
He instructed officials to prepare proposals for additional cottages near the historic Ramappa Temple to manage increasing tourist inflow.
Emphasising long-term vision, Jupally Krishna Rao said the government aims to transform Telangana into a world-class tourism hub by 2047 and position it as the top tourism destination in India through investment-friendly policies and structured development.
To promote culture and local livelihoods, he also directed the construction of "Hampi-style" theatres at major tourist destinations to host cultural programmes and support local artists.