Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) Ltd. has come out with two new tour packages to Papikondalu and Arasavalli-Kalingapatnam. A poster of the new packages was released by APTDC Division General Manager G. Bheema Sankara Rao here on Monday.
The Vizag – Papikondalu road-cum-river cruise would take the tourists through a quick tour of the picturesque hills and temples along the river. The places to be covered include Gandipochamma temple, Devipatnam, Papikondalu, and Perantalapalli temple.
The AP Tourism bus would leave at 4 a.m. from the RTC Complex premises at 4 a.m. and return by 11 p.m. the same night. The tariff has been fixed at Rs.1,460 for an adult and Rs.1,170 per child, the General Manager told the media.
The Arasavalli – Kalingapatnam tour package would cover Arasavalli, Srikurmam, Salihundam and Kalingapatnam.
TariffThe tariff has been fixed at Rs.820 for adults and Rs.660 for children. The bus would leave Vizag at 7 a.m. and return by 7 p.m. the same evening.
The packages include the services of a tourist guide, snacks and meal. He said that a plan was being made to introduce a package tour to Tirupathi.
Mr. Bheema Sankara Rao said that Vizag Division of APTDC was earning the highest revenue in the State. The average annual revenue was to the order of Rs.18 crore. This year, despite the Samaikyandhra stir, revenue of around Rs.20 crore was already achieved and the target for next year was fixed at Rs.25 crore.
There were seven tourism resorts in operation in the division, which covers the three districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam. Two more resorts were coming up in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts.
The construction of a resort at Baruva in Srikakulam district, taken up at a cost of Rs.7.5 crore, was nearing completion and the one at Chintapalli in Vizianagaram district would be ready for inauguration in three months.
The General Manager said that the existing resorts at Rushikonda, Araku and Tyda were being renovated and a swimming pool would be constructed at Rushikonda for the benefit of tourists. The division has acquired two 36-seater and one 18-seater bus recently besides two SUVs for customised tour packages as demanded by tourists.
Replying to queries, he said that the department would construct a garage on its land behind the School for the Visually Challenged and there were plans to construct an office on the land allotted to it behind the Joint Collector’s bungalow at Siripuram.
