Owing to the sudden drop in temperature and the long weekend due to Christmas, tourist spots in and around Visakhapatnam, including the Agency areas of Alluri Sitharama Raju district, are packed with visitors.
There was no visible impact of COVID-19 new variant JN.1 in Visakhapatnam and surrounding districts. Moreover, bookings in hotels, including those belonging to Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), in the Agency areas is 100% till the New Year, according to sources.
M. Patrudu, an official from APTDC Araku division, said they have 178 rooms of various types, including non-AC/AC single/double-bed rooms, standard rooms, suites and cottages. “All these rooms have been booked till the New Year. We are expecting the same till Sankranthi season, in view of the holidays,” he said.
To cash in on the demand, most private hotels in the Araku valley have been charging triple the regular rates. Some private hotels have been demanding around ₹4,000 to ₹6,000 for a double-bed room on the New Year’s Eve, according to sources.
The decision of Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) and the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA-Paderu) to develop more view points, creating additional tourist spots and modernising existing facilities at various parts seems to have paid off.
The new zip-liner facility on the lines of Lambasingi by the APTDC near Borra Caves in Ananthagiri mandal is a hit, with hundreds of tourists going for the adventure zip-liner facility over the Gosthani river. Apart from Chaparai waterfalls in Dumbriguda, Kothapalli waterfalls in Chintapalli were modernised and five view points between Ananthagiri and Lambasingi were developed. The view points at Madagada and Chervuluvenam are especially drawing a large number of tourists during sunrise.
Vanjangi, popularly known as ‘Meghala Kondalu’ in Paderu mandal, is receiving at least 2,500 tourists during weekends, according to Mandal Parishad Development Officer, Paderu, M. Naveen. There has also been a huge demand for tents set up at Vanjangi grama panchayat. The tent owners have been coming up with various attractive amenities such as bike rentals and camp fires for tourists during their stay, sources said.
Meanwhile, hotspots in the city are abuzz with tourists. Footfall to attractions such as Kailasagiri, Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP), Tenneti Park and Kurusra Submarine Museum has seen a sharp rise.
The APTDC and private travels have been coming up with one-day to three-day tour packages covering various destinations in Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and ASR districts. The Vistadome coaches of Visakhapatnam–Araku train have been fully booked till Sankarnthi, according to sources from the Waltair Division, Visakhapatnam.
