“The highest revenue earner for the AP Tourism Department is the Visakhapatnam region,” said a tourism official a couple of months ago.
The famous temple of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Nrusimha Swamy at Simhachalam, Araku, Borra Caves, Buddhist heritage sites dotting the city and district, ‘Erramatti Dibbalu’, the beaches in the city and at Bheemunipatnam, and Kailasagiri draw tourists not only from various parts of Andhra Pradesh but also from other states as also abroad.
The new State of Andhra Pradesh offers a huge potential to become a tourist hotspot of India considering its vast coastline.
Visakhapatnam can be developed into one of the favourite tourist destinations of India considering its immense tourist potential, says Vizag Development Council (VDC) vice-president O. Naresh Kumar. The VDC has suggested setting up of a science museum, planetarium and observatory in the city, and development of golf courses. It has also suggested promotion of zoo, aquariums, and underwater rides, and beach tourism. These apart, it has favoured development of a network connecting Buddhist heritage sites and improvement of essential facilities at all pilgrims centres across Andhra Pradesh.
The other suggestions include preserving and promoting the historic sites such as ‘Erramatti Dibbalu’ and Borra Caves, introduction of glass coaches on the train to Araku, a ‘Palace on Wheels’ to connect important tourists spots of Andhra Pradesh, and development of sports tourism yachting for which beaches of Visakhapatnam are said to be comparable to the best in the world. The VDC has appealed to the government to set up Visakhapatnam Tourism Board, improve air connectivity, develop world-class infrastructure at Visakhapatnam International Airport, and commission tourism projects on the Visakhapatnam – Bheemunipatnam mega beach corridor that was announced in the past.
