APTDC Vijayawada unveils new packages to woo tourists

The Vijayawada division of Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Limited (APTDC) has blended exciting sports packages with its traditional ones to attract pleasure hunting and adventurous tourists to its island resorts in sea and Krishna and Godavari rivers in five districts.

The division aims to earn an income of Rs 5.04 crore during 2006-07 as against Rs 2.64 crore in 2005-06.

K V Venkateshwar Rao, APTDC divisional manager, who conceived the packages, told Business Standard that the occupancy rate of tourists at various island and riverside resorts and boat houses in the division, comprising East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts, had gone up to 43-78 per cent from 23-38 per cent in the last financial year.

"Bhavani Island in Krishna river in Vijayawada has become a special tourist attraction," Rao said, adding that an open amphi-theatre amid island forest (an eco-tourism project) with 1,500 seating capacity and free Chinese model kiosks for families were the added attractions here. Besides, it offers packages such as nests (cottages) atop trees, spidernet, slings with cuppies (sliding rope), Burma bridge, row bridge, trekking through a thick and small jungle to reach a small beach on the other end of the island, and water sports.

"A 36-seater coach would take pilgrims from Vijayawada to Mangalagiri, Undavilli, Amaravathi and Uppalapadu bird sanctuary and Manasa sarovaram in Guntur district," he said, adding that four A/C house boats on the Godavari river will be available for tourists at Dindi in West Godavari district.

The division has also arranged five pleasure boats and a stearn boat at Rajahmundry in East Godavari district to take tourists via the rail-road bridge to Dowlaiswaram and other shrines. An air-conditioned boathouse named after Sir Arthur Cotton takes visitors on a 70-kilometre ride on Godavari river to Pattiseema, Polavaram project area, Gandipochamma gudi, Devipatnam and surrounding tribal villages, Papikondalu and Perantalapalli. This ride touches the two Godavari districts and Khammam district.

"There's a great rush for this ride as it takes pilgrims to a number of shrines along the Godavari river. Polavaram project area, where engineers are carrying out 120 massive blastings a day, is also drawing huge crowds. The ride also takes them to the oldest Siva temple at Pattiseema," he said.

This apart, there are 12 beach resorts on Suryalanka Island in the sea at Bapatla in Guntur district that boast of three star facilities.