The Tourism Department has resolved to promote Visakhapatnam as a tourist hub with several mega projects by rolling out a red carpet to private investors.
As part of the new tourism policy, Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) operators will be encouraged under Public Private Partnership mode to set up projects to popularise beachfront tourism by developing a corridor all along the beach road from the city to Bhimunipatnam.
Tourism Secretary Jayesh Ranjan said Rushikonda would be developed on the lines of Goa by improving the ambience with an allocation of Rs.50 lakh.
Mega projects
The potential projects identified by the government include international convention centre, sea cruise tourism, aquamarine park, wellness tourism, gold course, beach circuit, and visitor zones.
Water sports will be an important component. An international convention centre is proposed with an investment of Rs.300 crore. As IT business is picking up, mandarins in Tourism Department feel that the city can be promoted as a centre for meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE). Right now, the city does not have a venue to host international business/cultural meets, seminars, expos, industry-specific fairs, and buyer-seller meets.
The convention centre is proposed with 3,000 seating capacity equipped with modern display and lighting facilities on par with international standards, combination of budget and business class accommodation, shopping, food courts, and entertainment centres.
Sea cruise tourism
To promote sea cruise tourism, a cruise terminal is proposed to operate cruise liners between Visakhapatnam and Port Blair on a regular basis after Star Cruise operators represented to the government to provide the facility.
AMET Shipping, which brought its cruise liner to the city sometime ago, had also faced problem in berthing the vessel in the port. It is estimated that the cruise terminal project will cost Rs.200 crore.
An aquarium park with Rs.200 crore, marine science centre with botanical garden, mangrove lagoon, movie theatre, and waterfront beach activities at a cost of Rs.150 crore and wellness centre in Health City with an investment of Rs.50 crore are mooted.
“The city can become an ideal destination for tourists if new facilities are added on a regular basis and air and rail connectivity improves,” said Harsh Vardhan, who runs a hotel in the city.
