Vizianagaram officials yet to tap tourism potential

  • | Tuesday | 17th January, 2017

He has also asked authorities to tap the potential of non-temple tourism in Vizianagaram. However, we are yet to develop a package to realise the true potential of the district as it has several recreational tourism spots "So far, if at all, Vizianagaram has been noted only for temple tourism. Whether it is Sirimanu festival or the Dargahs or the Rama Theerthalu Temple Complex near Nellimarla, Vizianagaram has always drawn pilgrims. If not there will only be temple tourism in the district.

Visakhapatnam: While Visakhapatnam is a popular tourist destination, Vizianagaram district, which is adjacent to Odisha and has a direct railway line to Howrah (Kolkata), is usually given a miss by most tourists from West Bengal and other parts of the country.The district has some wonderful spots such as the Tatipudi reservoir, the Vizianagaram Fort complex, Govindapuram beach, Champavathi river which originates near Andra village, Govindapuram temple about 20 kms from Vizianagaram, Kumili Temple Complex, Bobbili Fort complex and the Old Bobbili Fort. Though Vizianagaram is barely 52 kms from Visakhapatnam by road, the potential of the district as a tourist destination is yet to be realised.Waking up to this reality, district collector Vivek Yadav has urged authorities to focus on promoting Vizianagaram as a popular tourist destination and come up with a list of potential spots. He has also asked authorities to tap the potential of non-temple tourism in Vizianagaram."So far, if at all, Vizianagaram has been noted only for temple tourism. Whether it is Sirimanu festival or the Dargahs or the Rama Theerthalu Temple Complex near Nellimarla, Vizianagaram has always drawn pilgrims. However, we are yet to develop a package to realise the true potential of the district as it has several recreational tourism spots," said Vivek Yadav recently told the media.Apart from Bobbili and Vizianagaram towns, the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) site lists three pilgrimage centres such as Kumili, Rama Theerthalu and Punyagiri (with the exception of Govindapuram).P Rama Rao, a cab owner, said, "Neither the APTDC nor the state government have managed to exploit the tourism potential of Vizianagaram as a popular destination and turn it into a launch pad to other tourism spots in south Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Vizianagaram is close to Chitrakote waterfalls near Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh) and Jeypore (Odisha). Both the APTDC and district officials could have collaborated with these two governments to promote tourism across the region."The public also believe that events such as the Sirimanu festival should be utilised to promote tourism in the district. KJ Veda, a native of Vizianagaram who works for an MNC in Vizag, said, "They can promote tourist spots in the district during the Sirimanu festival and also pitch for Vizianagaram as an ideal stop-over for tourists going to Chhattisgarh and south Odisha. If not there will only be temple tourism in the district."So far, if at all, Vizianagaram has been noted only for temple tourism. Whether it is Sirimanu festival or the Dargahs or the Rama Theerthalu Temple Complex near Nellimarla, Vizianagaram has always drawn pilgrims. However, we are yet to develop a package to realise the true potential of the district as it has several recreational tourism spots

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