Visakhapatnam: With tourists flocking to Visakhapatnam because of Dasara and Deepavali season, the demand for hotel accommodation is high. The port city’s hotels are fully booked.
Shortage for rooms had been acute when the five-day National Conference on Neurology had been organised in Visakhapatnam from October 16 to October 20 at a corporate hotel. The conference saw 2,500 doctors from India and abroad arriving in Visakhapatnam. They thus ended up occupying majority of the city's 3,000 hotel rooms.
As a result, people coming to the city for personal, business or job-related reasons struggled to find rooms in star hotels. They had to move to smaller lodges.
Even the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), which usually holds its meetings in star hotels, had to settle for a modest hotel in Pandimetta.
This led to people related to tourism and hotel industry wondering why Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) is delaying the opening of its Yatri Niwas, particularly when it is the peak season for tourists, including the recently concluded Dasara and forthcoming Deepavali holidays.
This has compelled many visitors, particularly those from West Bengal and Odisha, to seek alternative accommodation in upscale hotels or smaller lodges.
When contacted, tourism department regional director Pani Srinivas told Deccan Chronicle that funds will be released soon for APTDC Yatri Niwas in Vizag. “We will complete the Yatri Niwas accommodation as soon as the funds arrive," he stated.
Significantly, the delay in opening the Yatri Niwas is causing a significant revenue loss for the APTDC.
