Andhra govt to develop Vizag district as tourism hub: Minister

Visakhapatnam, Jul 10: The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to develop the picturesque and heritage-rich port city of Visakhapatnam and the district as a tourism hub.

"The state government had already started work to develop beaches between Bheemili and Visakhapatnam at a cost of Rs 50 crore, which will be completed soon," HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao told reporters yesterday after flagging off the 'leisure night package tour' bus launched by the state Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) here. The bus covers places like Submarine Museum, Rishikonda, Kailasagiri Hill and Shilparamam Jatara in the city.

Rao said the district has a number of natural beaches and is also rich in culture and heritage. "It (the district) has Buddhist centres, the picturesque Araku valley, Borra caves and Erramatti Dibbalu (red sand dunes) which could be developed as tourists places," he added. The minister also said that Visakhapatnam city has a lot of potential to be developed like Singapore.

PTI