Vizag tourism to witness a major transformation

Visakhapatnam: Grandplans are in store for Visakhapatnam tourism as it is going to experience a significant transformation soon. Following talks with Mandai Wildlife Group officials earlier in June, attempts are on not just to imbibe best practices from Sentosa Island but also to come up with fresh project ideas.

The current study tour of Visakhapatnam Member of Parliament M Sribharat to Sentosa Island in Singapore further aims to strengthen tourism in Visakhapatnam, exploring newer opportunities and increasing infrastructure investments. Apart from focusing on sustainable growth, the MP’s trip to Singapore intends to adopt best global practices and enhance visitor experiences.

Known for its beaches, entertainment hubs, and innovative infrastructure, Sentosa Island, Singapore’s premier tourist destination attracts millions of visitors annually. From the island’s development journey to strategies adopted to make it a global benchmark for tourism, a detailed presentation was given to the Visakhapatnam MP by the Sentosa management in Singapore. As part of the presentation, key performance indicators that drive growth, including diversified attractions, international festivals, enhanced visitor experiences and strict enforcement of safety and quality measures have been explained.

Laying emphasis on how technology-driven models can enhance both operational efficiency and visitor satisfaction, the MP highlighted the potential to integrate AI into tourism and safety management in Visakhapatnam.

Singapore’s sustainable tourism policies, eco-tourism, adherence to Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) standards, improved waste management, water conservation and rainwater harvesting formed a part of the key focus areas. As Visakhapatnam is endowed with a long coastline, verdant hills and lush greenery, the MP underlined the need to adopt best practices for Visakhapatnam. He opined that tourist spots like RK Beach and Kailasagiri could be transformed into world-class hubs to draw foreign tourists.

In the meantime, the Sentosa team presented their Sensoryscape project, which leverages virtual reality (VR) to craft immersive tourist experiences, shared challenges faced during its execution and lessons learnt while balancing innovation with sustainability.

Sharing details about Visakhapatnam’s unique landscape, Sribharat highlighted the city’s potential to host global events, boost eco-tourism, and become a maritime and cultural hub in Asia. He stressed the importance of adopting a holistic approach that combines infrastructure development adhering to sustainable practices to attract both domestic and international tourists. The visit to Singapore marks a crucial step in exploring collaborative opportunities between Singapore’s tourism expertise and Visakhapatnam’s future growth. The MP mentioned that insights gained from the Sentosa model would play a significant role in charting out strategies to project Vizag as a global tourism destination.

As part of the tourism development, plans are in place to revamp Indira Gandhi Zoological Park as well. In connection with it, talks are on with Mandai Wildlife Group to restructure the city zoo. CEO of Mandai Mike Barclay already paid a visit to Visakhapatnam and suggestions were given to revamp the zoo further to integrate a part of the zoo and Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary for a new transparent underpass or overpass facility.

With an estimated investment of Rs.500 crore, Sribharat opined that the new facility would be one-of-its-kind infrastructure in the world if things shape up as envisaged.

With the country’s longest glass bridge near the Titanic viewpoint at Kailasagiri adding to the list of tourist spots, and a host of proposals in the pipeline, the tourism landscape in Visakhapatnam is set to witness a huge change.