Surge in tourists arrivals this holiday season in Vizag, ASR districts

Visakhapatnam and Alluri Sitharama Raju districts are witnessing a significant surge in tourist arrivals amid the ongoing Christmas and New Year holidays, with visitors thronging destinations in large numbers.

Popular tourist spots are bustling with activity from early morning hours. The entire Beach Road stretch remains packed with tourists throughout the day. Places such as the Kursura Submarine Museum, TU-142 Aircraft Museum, Tenneti Park, Kailasagiri, Rushikonda, RK Beach, Thotlakonda and other attractions are experiencing peak rush.

In particular, the Kursura Submarine Museum is witnessing long queue lines extending till night, while a similar situation prevails at the ropeway facility on Kailasagiri Hill. Kailasagiri road is also facing severe traffic congestion, with scores of vehicles lined up for long stretches.

Since the last few days, Simhachalam Devasthanam is receiving a huge inflow of devotees, most of them arriving from neighbouring States. On Friday, heavy traffic was reported on the Simhachalam ghat road, which led traffic police to intervene and regulate vehicular movement to ensure smoother flow.

Likewise, tourist destinations in the Agency areas such as Borra Caves, Katika Waterfalls, Chaparai, Ananthagiri Coffee Gardens, Lambasingi, Madagada View Point and Vanjangi Hill are attracting visitors in large numbers. On an average, Borra Caves is drawing over 6,000 tourists per day, while Vanjangi is receiving around 4,000 visitors daily. The ghat road stretch between Araku and Sunkarametta is witnessing heavy traffic, with tourists waiting for long hours in their vehicles.

According to officials of the Tourism Department, in view of the New Year’s Eve celebrations the footfall is expected to increase further in the coming days. Hotels in both the districts have reported 100% occupancy, a trend that is likely to continue through till the Sankranti festival.