Hyderabad, May 25, 2026: Tourism experts, hospitality leaders and branding strategists have called for positioning Telangana as a globally recognisable “Deccan Heritage Destination,” arguing that the state possesses immense tourism potential but continues to suffer from low national and international visibility.
The recommendations emerged during a high-level Tourism Conclave on “Destination Telangana – The Road Ahead” organised by the National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management (NITHM), jointly promoted by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and the Government of Telangana.
Industry leaders observed that Indian states are increasingly competing to build distinct tourism identities around culture, heritage, cuisine, festivals and experiential travel, and Telangana now has a major opportunity to create a powerful and globally marketable tourism narrative rooted in its Deccan legacy.
Tourism and branding experts said Telangana’s unique blend of Deccan history, Hyderabad culture, forts, lakes, cuisine, festivals, folk traditions and architectural heritage could collectively shape a distinctive tourism identity capable of attracting domestic as well as international visitors.
Vani Prasad, Special Chief Secretary, Youth Advancement, Tourism & Culture Department, said every village can have a story to tell. Telangana, with 12000 plus villages have many stories to tell. There is a strong need to showcase Telangana and its tourism potential. The Tourism policy is already in place. Though we have not accorded an Industry status to this sector, they have full support from the Government.
- Ranjeet Nayak, Director of Tourism, Government of Telangana, spoke about the importance of sustainable and inclusive tourism models and stressed the need to build Telangana into a hub for green tourism. He also suggested promoting seasonal tourism through initiatives such as mango festivals and local cultural experiences.
One of the strongest themes that emerged during the discussions was the need for Telangana to move beyond generic tourism promotion and build a memorable global identity around “Deccan Heritage.”
Tourism consultant Tarun Singh Chauhan observed that successful destinations sell experiences, emotions and identity — not merely locations.
Drawing comparisons with globally recognised tourism identities such as Kashmir’s Chinar landscape, Kerala’s backwaters, Rajasthan’s forts and Goa’s beaches, he said Telangana possesses equally strong symbolic assets, including Bathukamma, Deccan culture, cuisine, lakes, forts and heritage traditions.
He also referred to the transformation of Nashik through vineyard tourism as an example of how destination-led branding can create large-scale tourism ecosystems and economic growth.
- Ramchandram, Co-Chairman of the Tourism Committee of FTCCI, described Telangana as an under-discovered destination with enormous opportunities in heritage tourism, cultural tourism, spiritual tourism, festival tourism and experience tourism.
He said Telangana represents a rare civilisational fusion shaped by South Indian, Persian, Telugu, Urdu, Islamic, folk and tribal influences and advocated positioning the state as the cultural heart of the Deccan.
Highlighting one of the most striking branding opportunities, he pointed out that while the world recognises the Kohinoor diamond, very few people know about its Telangana origins.
He suggested that the Kohinoor legacy itself could evolve into a luxury heritage tourism brand for Telangana capable of generating international curiosity and destination appeal.
Ramchandram also stressed the importance of expanding homestay tourism and revealed that the FTCCI Tourism Committee had proposed a free capacity-building initiative to support nearly 800 homestays across major tourism destinations in Telangana.
Adding a lighter cultural dimension to the discussion, he remarked that Hyderabad’s chai culture represents one of the city’s most authentic social experiences.
“Before social media came, chai was Hyderabad’s original social media. Every tea stall in Telangana is an unofficial parliament session,” he said, drawing appreciation from participants.
If you get lost in Telagana, someone will first offer chai before giving directions, he said.
He further presented an acronym for TELANGANA as Traditions, Expressions, Lakes, Arts, Nature, Glory, Architecture, Narratives and Aspirations, describing it as a reflection of the state’s diverse cultural identity.
Recalling former President Ram Nath Kovind’s remark that Hyderabad was known for “Biryani, Bahubali and Badminton,” Ramchandram expanded the concept into Telangana’s “Big Bs” — Biryani, Badminton, Bahubali, Bangles, Bathukamma, Bonalu, Bagara Baingan, Bidriware, Biotechnology, Biscuits and Bun Maska — as symbolic representations of Telangana’s culinary, cultural and industrial strengths.
The iconic combination of Irani chai, Osmania biscuits, bun maska, and old café conversations represents the soul of Hyderabad’s Deccan culture. Just as Italy promotes coffee culture and Turkey promotes Turkish tea experiences, Telangana can promote “Hyderabadi Chai Culture” as a lifestyle tourism attraction through café trails, heritage chai walks, night tourism, food festivals, storytelling sessions, and old-city cultural experiences.
In happiness we drink chai, in sadness we drink chai, in tension we drink chai, in peace we drink chai, in anger we drink chai, in laughter we drink chai, in winter we drink chai, in summer we drink chai, we drink chari before sleeping, we drink chai the moment we wake up, we drink chai before food, we drink chai even after food. Hyderabadis want only one thing… that is chai. And that too — strong, irresistible chai! That is the true Hyderabadi chai culture, Ram added
Other industry leaders participating in the conclave highlighted the growing opportunities in tourism circuits, destination weddings, hospitality expansion and domestic travel.
Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, who addressed the conclave during later sessions, presented a vision for strengthening domestic tourism within Telangana.
He said that if Telangana’s 3.5 crore citizens travelled within the state for just two days every month, it could generate a vibrant year-round tourism economy benefiting districts, towns and villages across the state.
The conclave also highlighted the importance of sustainable tourism, heritage preservation, public spaces, eco-tourism and tourism-friendly urban development.
Experts noted that the discussions and recommendations emerging from the conclave could contribute significantly to Telangana’s evolving tourism branding strategy and help position the state as one of India’s most distinctive experience-driven tourism destinations.
