Even as the Chandrababu Naidu government positions Visakhapatnam as a global investment hub for IT firms and large industries, the coastal city continues to lag behind Goa in achieving widespread popularity as a tourist destination.
Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu has offered his own explanation for this disparity, arguing that excessive local restrictions are preventing Visakhapatnam from emerging as a vibrant tourism hotspot.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Partnership Summit on Saturday, Patrudu said officials have highlighted the city’s beaches and natural landscapes as key drivers of growth, but the expected tourism influx has not materialised.
“Officials have been projecting the city’s beaches and natural landscapes as its biggest growth drivers; yet Vizag fails to attract tourists on the lines of Goa,” he said.
Despite Vizag’s cosmopolitan character, he noted, the city remains far from achieving the kind of tourism boom Goa enjoys.
“There are no restrictions on tourists in Goa. But in Visakhapatnam, there are many. That is why tourism is not developing here.”
In a pointed remark, the Speaker questioned whether tourists were allowed to freely relax on the city’s beaches.
“Will a husband and wife come all the way just to drink tea on the beach? The husband should be able to have a couple of drinks, and the wife should be able to enjoy an ice cream. That is how tourists unwind.”
His comments have sparked discussions across political and administrative circles about the regulatory environment governing tourism in Visakhapatnam.
Patrudu added that during a recent visit to Goa to meet Governor Ashok Gajapathi Raju, he observed large numbers of tourists — including many from Hyderabad and other major cities — enjoying their holidays without constraints.
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