Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 29 (ANI): The Telangana Tourism Department is engaging with investors, industry leaders and members of the Indian diaspora in the US to showcase the State's tourism investment potential ahead of the Invest Telangana Global Summit 2026, scheduled to be held in Hyderabad in December. 

Special Chief Secretary-Tourism Vani Prasad held discussions with prominent business leaders, media personalities and high-net-worth investors in the US, presenting investment opportunities across Telangana, particularly in the eight identified Special Tourism Areas (STAs).

The interactions included Dilip Chauhan, Deputy Chief Business Diversity Officer in the Office of the Mayor of New York; Sunil Hali, publisher, CEO and head of the Indo-American Arts Council; and technology entrepreneurs and investors Atluri and Ritesh Parikh.

Highlighting the State's potential, Prasad said Telangana offers significant first-mover opportunities in hospitality, tourism attractions, museums, technology-enabled visitor services and data-driven solutions. She emphasised that investors could play a key role in developing world-class tourism infrastructure and enhancing visitor experiences at destinations beyond Hyderabad.

Dawn Drew, former Vice President and Publisher of National Geographic, expressed appreciation for Telangana's emerging tourism opportunities and described the State as an 'undiscovered gem' in India.

Sunil Hali said the message to travellers and investors in the US would be 'Discover Telangana', while Dilip Chauhan highlighted the growing connection between the two cities with the message 'New York meets Hyderabad'.

Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao welcomed the encouraging response from the US investor community and said the government aims to position tourism as one of the State's major growth sectors.

'The Telangana Tourism Policy envisages attracting investments of USD 1.7 billion and generating around 3 lakh jobs. Tourism has the potential to create livelihoods across age groups, genders and educational backgrounds, while providing significant opportunities for entrepreneurs. We are committed to developing Telangana as a globally recognised tourism destination,' he said.

A Telangana Tourism delegation led by Vani Prasad and Ranjeet Naik, Director-Tourism, is participating in the World Travel Expo (WTE) in Miami, which brings together more than 400 exhibitors from 70 countries, including national and regional tourism boards and convention and visitors bureaus.

The delegation is holding pre-scheduled meetings with travel trade representatives, media organisations and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) to promote Telangana as a preferred tourism and investment destination.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner also visited the Telangana Tourism Pavilion at WTE Miami and were briefed on the State's tourism investment opportunities.

The US outreach is part of Telangana's broader efforts to showcase its tourism potential globally and attract strategic investments in the sector. (ANI)