Tourist footfall on the rise in Visakhapatnam and Andhra Pradesh's Agency areas

VISAKHAPATNAM: Tourist footfall in Visakhapatnam as well as Agency areas has been increasing day by day. Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) divisional manager TG Prasad Reddy said both Araku Valley and Borra Caves are receiving a footfall of 2,000 to 3,000 tourists on the weekend,  while around 300 to 400 are visiting on the weekdays.

"On the weekends, the resorts are fully booked. We are expecting more footfall once the train services from Visakhapatnam to Araku resume on 15 July," he said. Places such as Borra Caves, Araku and others are opened up to the public during non-curfew hours at the end of June, while tourism places in the city that fall under the VMRDA purview opened this week. 

Many tourists are visiting Araku and Borra Caves despite the rains. "A group of us decided to go an impromptu road trip to Araku and Borra Caves," said H Suresh.

The group of five went for a two-day trip and were constantly greeted with short spells of rain on both the days. TG Prasad Reddy further said that all places are following COVID-19 precautions.Additionally, water sports activities at Rushikonda Beach here have also picked up pace.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, Balaram, the founder of Livein Adventures said that while the weather is causing much disturbance, the crowd is still good in number. "Usually in July-August, we receive very few customers. However, since the cases are reducing, many people want to make the most of it," he explained.