Tourism official wants Vizag to be made a model city

Amrapali, Vice-Chairperson and Managing Director of Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation, has suggested to the officials to create world-class facilities to make Visakhapatnam a model city in the tourism sector.

The top tourism official, who was in the city on 23 January, had a special meeting with the officials of tourism, port, VMRDA, GVMC, GCC, Forest Department, Zoo, various private sports complexes, hotel managers, and members of the Tourism Council at the VMRDA meeting hall and discussed with them various issues like tourism projects planning, infrastructure development, future activities.

She suggested to the officials concerned to get special terminals built for cruise tourism and provide the necessary facilities for it. As Visakhapatnam was gifted with a large coastline, more beaches should be developed in addition to the existing ones. Amrapali said additional facilities should be provided at the zoo park to attract more crowds.

Plans acceptable to all should be prepared for the design of new projects and budget proposals should be sent, she said promising all cooperation from the government. She suggested that tourism should be developed in such a way that national and international tourists stay in the ‘model city’ of Visakhapatnam for longer periods.

VMRDA plans

As a part of the meeting, VMRDA Commissioner KS Vishwanathan listed the projects that were already underway and those to be taken up.

Making a PowerPoint presentation, he said that nature cottages and a beach view cafe would be set up on Kailasagiri. He said that a convention centre with modern facilities on the lines of a five-star hotel, a habitat centre at Rushikonda, an urban entertainment zone in Madhurawada, a super-specialty hospital in Anakapalle as a part of the medical tourism concept, a convention centre with modern facilities and amenities in Vijayanagar, and a natural history park and museum in Kapuluppada would be set up.

The Commissioner said that in view of national and international conferences being held in the city, proposals were made for construction of a large convention centre with a capacity of 5,000 people in an area of ​​about 15 to 20 acres. He said that plans were prepared to set up eco-tourism resorts in the hilly areas and boat clubs in the places like Tatipudi and Gambhiram. Officials of the other departments listed the projects to be taken up by them.

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This article is written by Senior Journalist Lakkoju Nagesh Babu