It’s back to normal again. Rush is seen at tourist places after a lull during the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cottages and resorts of the AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) in Visakhapatnam Division have recorded an impressive growth in occupancy and revenue.
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“The demand has increased for both inbound and outbound tours from the city. The two-year restrictions on travel seem to have increased the urge for travel. Starting from February-and/March, this year, we had received enquiries for summer travel to various destinations. There was about a 60% increase in tourists this year compared to last year,” says P. Muralikrishna of Travel IQ.
“The outbound travel to destinations like Srinagar, Darjeeling, Munnar and Gangtok has increased. A number of travellers from Visakhapatnam attended the recent Dubai festival,” he says.
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“Though we are getting good enquiries for Singapore, the VISA restrictions have been tightened in that country due to the pandemic. We are already getting enquiries for the forthcoming Dasara vacation,” he says.
“The steep increase in air fares to international destinations like Malaysia, Thailand and Bangkok is causing tourists to postpone their travel plans. Domestic travel to destinations like the hill stations in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and West Bengal has increased tremendously but they are unable to cater to the demand due to shortage of vehicles,” says K. Vijay Mohan, president of the Tours and Travel Association of AP (TTAA).
“Coming to regional tourism, the shortage of accommodation is a drawback. The restrictions on chilling out on the beaches of the city till late in the night, the high cost of premium brands of liquor and high cost of accommodation in Star hotels are also putting off tourists,” he says.
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The occupancy ratio at our resorts registered a good increase in 2021-22, compared to the previous financial year, says APTDC Divisional Manager Babuji.
The total income of the Division, from 12 properties, increased to ₹20.48 crore during the 2021-22 fiscal from ₹13.35 crore during the previous year. The expenditure increased to ₹14.15 crore from ₹11 crore and the surplus increased to ₹6.32 crore from ₹2.35 crore, during the corresponding period.
The revenue of the Division from Borra Caves, Water Fleet and Transport Units increased from ₹2.88 crore in 2020-21 to ₹4.93 crore in 2021-22.
The rail-cum-road package tour from Visakhaptnam to Araku and the weekend train tours, to Tirumala, operated by the IRCTC, Visakhapatnam, are also drawing very good response.