The Andhra Pradesh government in a bid to promote its state as a popular tourism destination has now roped in badminton star, Saina Nehwal as its new brand ambassador.
Saina, currently the world number two in women’s badminton, is expected to take up her new assignment on September 27th, on the occasion of World Tourism Day. “Saina has consented to be our brand ambassador. We will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding in this regard,” state Tourism Secretary, Jayesh Ranjan said.
Andhra Pradesh Tourism Minister, J. Geeta Reddy said, “She travels widely not only across India but also other countries to participate in various tournaments. Given her current status in the world of badminton, Saina can promote Andhra Pradesh and improve our tourism also.”
Andhra Pradesh that has recently signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) along with Tamil Nadu boasts of well-renowned tourism spots like Tirupati Temple, Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, Salarjung Museum, Charminar, Srisailam among others. The tourism industry in Andhra Pradesh witnessed a growth of 16 per cent in 2009 with tourist arrivals touching 127 million, including 7.60 lakh foreigners. According to some of the official sources, the State gets most number of domestic tourists in India, followed by Uttar Pradesh.
