Popular tourist destinations in the city are likely to wear a deserted look with holiday-goers having a change of mind due to the coronavirus scare.
Though no cases have been detected yet in Visakhapatnam region, tourists from other States are said to be wary of travelling to other parts of the country with the COVID-19 pandemic showing no signs of subsiding.
Thousands of tourists from neighbouring districts and States visit the city every summer to spend time on the beaches and in Araku Valley. However, many tour operators in the city fear that the situation might be different this year.
“Tourists have been in contact with us about the situation here. Though we have informed them that it is safe here, they are reluctant to come. Some feel that travelling on trains and flights is unsafe during this time,” said L Ramu, a tour operator from the city.
Sunit Kumar Panja, a tour operator from the city, said that many tourists who had booked their rooms a couple of months ago are now reluctant to visit the city following the COVID-19 outbreak in other parts of the country.
“Many tourists from West Bengal are mulling to cancel their holidays here. As schools and public places have been shut down in Kolkata, they are worried that a similar situation is prevailing here too. We told them that there is no need for undue panic but they are planning to opt out,” he said.
In 2019, 2.73 crore domestic tourists visited Visakhapatnam, as against 1.97 crore the previous year. Officials said that the summer season sees more tourists coming to the city from various parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana compared to those from Odisha or West Bengal.
Demand dips for AC buses
The APSRTC Visakhapatnam Region has been witnessing a decline in demand for AC buses ever since COVID-19 cases surfaced in Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
According to APSRTC Regional Manager M.Y. Danam, the occupancy ratio for AC buses plying from Visakhapatnam to Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru has declined by 25%.
“Many fear that the virus can spread more rapidly in cold conditions, which might be why they are opting for non-AC buses instead of AC buses,” he said. “We have seen a reduction in footfalls on the Hyderabad route,” he said.
APTDC takes precautions
The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) is chalking out plans to deal with the potential drop in tourist footfalls in the coming months.
According to officials, awareness campaigns are being organised for tourists at APTDC hotels. Staff have been informing tourists about the measures to be taken while travelling. Meanwhile, posters have been displayed at hotels and resorts belonging to APTDC.
“As of now, we do not see COVID-19 having much of an impact on domestic tourism. We have started receiving bookings for hotel rooms and other trips from the tourists for May. However, we are organising awareness camps as a precautionary measure and also for the well-being of our tourists,” said APTDC Divisional Manager, Visakhapatnam, T.G. Prasad Reddy.
Mr. Reddy said that the staff have been instructed to conduct cleaning, spraying in hotel rooms, pools, boating facilities and at other places. He also said that the staff have been told to inform the medical teams/health department officials immediately if they come across any guests with COVID-19 symptoms like cold, cough, fever and respiratory problems.
