Tourism should not be limited to a few select places but even rural areas should be transformed into tourist hubs, Tourism, Culture and Cinematography Minister Kandula Durgesh said on Sunday (February 8), adding that the state government would work towards this goal.
In a press release, he noted that the ‘Volunteer Yatra’ campaign, undertaken by the tourism department in collaboration with a New Delhi-based organization to promote tourist attractions and rural culture and heritage, has yielded positive results.
The campaign, overseen by Special General Secretary Ajay Jain and AP Tourism Development Corporation CEO Amrapali Kata, was not limited to commercial advertisements but social media influencers were roped in to promote the cultural and tourism appeal of the place through on-site experiences.
According to the press release, the campaign was conducted in two phases. In the first, 11 social media influencers with a follower base of between 3 and 6 million from Delhi, Rajasthan, Assam, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana were invited to visit Visakhapatnam, Araku Valley and Lambasingi during the week of December 13-20, 2025.
Influencers created 80-100 high-quality videos, drone footage, and cinematic travelogues, all of which captured the attention of over 4 million viewers.
In the second phase between 3rd and 17th January 2026, influencers from Ayodhya, Kolkata, Mumbai and Odisha were invited to experience the Sankranti celebrations at Dr. BR Ambedkar Konaseema. They saw with their own eyes the Bhogi bonfires, the Prabhal procession and local customs which were filmed and shared with the audience.
About 30 reels and videos that captured the beauty of Antarvedi, Rajamahendravaram and Atrayepuram and showed the grandeur of the Sankranti festivities received 5 million views, according to a press release.
Thanks to the campaign, more than 1,000 booking inquiries were made in the last month alone, according to a press release. Following the success of the initiative, the tourism department plans to collaborate with the ‘Volunteer Yatra’ to develop ‘Art Villages’ and expand family homes in the state.
The videos, a total of 110, made by social media influencers, have reached more than 9 million people in the country and the minister said as a result, more places will be promoted in a similar manner in the coming days.
Published – 08 Feb 2026 19:12 IST