Andhra Pradesh keen on establishing world-class theme parks in State, says Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh

Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh informed the Legislative Assembly on Friday (March 6, 2026) that the TDP-led alliance government in the State was keen on establishing world-class entertainment facilities and theme parks in Andhra Pradesh.

Responding to a query by Prathipadu MLA B. Ramanjaneyulu on the proposal to set up a Disney world-style project in 171.14 acres at Karnutala village under Vatticherukuru mandal of Guntur district, Mr. Durgesh said massive projects like Disney World or Universal Studios require an investment ranging from ₹35,000 crores to ₹60,000 crores. He explained that such projects globally are managed by private organisations, while the governments’ role is limited to providing land, necessary clearances and subsidies.

The Minister said although the average spending capacity of tourists in India (₹20,000–21,000) is currently lower than international standards, steps are being taken to make these projects a reality in the future. Pointing to the fact that Disney World and Universal Studios are located in metropolitan cities like Orlando and Los Angeles (USA), Tokyo (Japan), Paris (France) and Shanghai (China), he said their establishment depends on demand and supply and these projects are feasible in those countries due to high returns. “For such projects to be viable in our country, tourist footfall and their spending capacity must increase,” he said.

The Minister said to attract large-scale investments, the government is offering fixed capital investment subsidies of 5–10%, up to ₹40 crores. Other incentives include 100% stamp duty reimbursement, 100% exemption on land use conversion fees and reimbursement of electricity costs at industrial tariffs. Additionally, there is 100% SGST reimbursement for 7–15 years, 50–100% reimbursement for EPF and ESI for three years and special customised incentives for mega and ultra-mega projects on a case-to-case basis, he informed.

He said the Tourism Department is in talks with companies like Imagica and Wonderla, which operate similar parks in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad and the firms have shown interest in projects in Tirupati and Visakhapatnam. He said three of the 102 MoUs worth ₹18,448 crores signed by the department at the recent Visakhapatnam Partnership Summit pertain to theme parks.