Tourist spots were partially opened in the district for the public after a gap of almost six months, in keeping with orders issued by the State government recently.

Local beaches, including Rushikonda, which were opened on Saturday, witnessed a large number of visitors. Residents flocked to the beaches in large numbers on Sunday.

Local beaches and tourism hotspots functioning under the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), including Borra Caves in Vizag Agency, were opened on Saturday itself, while a few tourist places like Kailasagiri, ropeway facility, Tenneti Park and museums under the control of the VMRDA are yet to open.

Barricades were removed at Rushikonda Beach Road and locals started to arrive at the beach in the afternoon. With the APTDC announcing a resumption of boating services, people could be seen lining up at the jetty. However, they returned disappointed as the boats could not be operated due to low tide.

According to APTDC Divisional Manager T.G. Prasada Reddy, safety precautions are being followed at all the tourist spots.

“Hotels and restaurants of the APTDC were already opened long back, and hotspots under our provision were sanitised and made safe for the public. Strict precautions are being taken at the Borra Caves by regulating the entry of tourists. Masks have been made mandatory for entry. The boating operations already have a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) given by the State government for the safety of tourists,” he said.

All tourism operations in the State were put on hold since March 20 after the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.

Though the State government had decided to open tourist destinations from August 1, things did not go as planned. Officials said that the tourism department in Visakhapatnam district had incurred a loss of ₹20 crore. On Friday, Tourism Minister M. Srinivasa Rao instructed officials to reopen tourism spots, museums, and other amenities after taking suitable precautions.

According to a senior official from the District Tourism Department, people from other areas, including neighbouring States like Odisha, have started reaching Visakhapatnam. “Moreover, we can see how R.K Beach is witnessing large crowds every weekend,” he said.

“Families are having ‘darshan’ at Simhachalam temple and are spending a day along the coastal stretch. Confined to houses for the last six months, people need a break. However, we see them taking a lot of precautions. Maybe there will be a steady increase in tourists if the COVID-19 curve declines,” he said, seeking anonymity.