VISAKHAPATNAM: The Araku Utsav has been almost put off, while the district administration is doubtful about the upcoming Bheemili and Visakha Utsavs (tourism festivals), which were scheduled to be held in December and January, respectively, as the inflow of tourists has come down due to demonetisation. The Araku Utsav was scheduled to be held between November 18 and November 20, but was postponed to December.
Now, officials say the festival will not be held this year due to various reasons, including demonetisation. Uncertainty over the first-ever Bheemili Utsav, scheduled to be held from December 9 to December 11 at the Bheemili area here, persists as the turnout of both domestic and foreign tourists has drastically come down after demonetisation. Admitting that the inflow of tourists decreased in peak season after demonetisation was announced, executive director of AP Tourism Development Corporation for Vizag Region R.S. Naidu said: “Araku Utsav is called off. We are planning to organise Bheemili and Visakha Utsavs on the scheduled dates expecting that everything will be normal within 10 days. The main aim in organising the tourism festivals is to attract more people and we are chalking out strategies to make the festivals a grand success.”
The city used to get tourists from West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and other parts of Andhra Pradesh. “There is a shortage of Rs 100 notes. We don’t have change for Rs 2,000 notes,” say hoteliers in Vizag, Araku valley and few other tourists spots in the district. “We are losing business due to the reduced flow flow of tourists in the peak season and we have no hopes that the inflow will rise,” said cab operators Ch. Raju and M. Naresh Kumar.
