One for album: David Bigorra Vunuales from Spain and Someng Khom from Cambodia taking a selfie at Bojjannakonda Buddhist heritage site, on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam. more-in The members of an international tourist delegation were bowled over by the serenity and the enchanting view of the surroundings from atop the Buddhist monasteries of Thotlakonda and Bavikonda and the sculptures on the walls of the caves at Bojjannakonda. “This is our first visit to Visakhapatnam and we had no inkling that such wonderful Buddhist heritage sites exist here. Unlike the overcrowded Buddhist sites at Bodh Gaya and Varanasi, the ‘aramas’ (temple monastery) here make the right ambience for meditation. The authorities should build meditation centres here to attract tourists,” Pitchet Pan of Elite Travels, Cambodia, told The Hindu. He, along with Someng Khom of Diamond Travels (also from Cambodia) and David Bigorra Vunuales of Q Travels, Spain, came to Vizag, as part of a global delegation to India. They visited the Buddhist heritage sites in the city and district apart from Simhachalam temple, Kursura submarine museum, TU- 142 aircraft museum, Visakha Museum and Kailasagiri during their two-day visit to the city, which concluded on Tuesday. Direct flights “Many foreign tourists feel that only Bodh Gaya and Varanasi are the places of Buddhist importance in India. Many Buddhists from Cambodia would have come to this city (Vizag), had they known about these sites. The availability of direct flights from Visakhapatnam to Malaysia and Singapore can help in bringing more tourists,” he said. “The Aircraft Museum and the Submarine Museum gives tourists a feel of life in the high skies and in the depths of the oceans and to imagine the challenges that the crew would have to face,” Mr. Pitchet Pan said. The three Destination Management Company (DMC) operators plan to prepare an itinerary of the Buddhist sites and the general places of tourist importance for promoting them back in their countries. They will be visiting Amaravati on August 30. “Multi cuisine restaurants serving a variety of international delicacies and availability of basic infrastructure such as rooms at tourists spots are essential to attract more tourists,” opines Muralikrishna of Travel iQ, who had organised the tour in the city.

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