Tourism corpn focuses on expanding tourism potential

Tirupati : AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), Tirupati division, is intensifying its focus on introducing innovative package tours in a bid to tap into the untapped tourism potential and boost revenues. The division’s transport sector has been a major revenue earner and by diversifying its package offerings, APTDC aims to attract more visitors and encourage extended stays.

Divisional Manager of APTDC, M Giridhar Reddy stated in an exclusive interaction with The Hans India that the primary goal is to encourage pilgrims visiting Tirupati to extend their stay by another 2-3 days to explore more attractions in the district. This strategy is expected to significantly enhance tourism revenue.

“We have been catering to tourists coming on package tours for just a day. If we can convert that into 2-3 day stays, we expect a positive surge in tourism income,” he observed.

APTDC has recently shifted its focus to the historic Gudimallam temple, which holds significance for its daily pujas and unique offerings to specific deities. To capitalise on this, APTDC plans to introduce daily puja packages tailored to the temple’s unique calendar, aiming to create a demand for each day’s offerings.

In line with these efforts, a new package tour was launched in the first week of this month, from Tirupati covering Tiruchanur and Gudimallam temples. The tour begins daily at 9 am and tickets are priced at Rs 400 each.

The APTDC has been operating various daily package tours from major cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Salem, Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. These services have become a preferred choice for pilgrims visiting Tirupati and seeking darshan at Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala. To facilitate this, the TTD allots 1,000 special darshan tickets daily to APTDC, of which 85-90 per cent are utilised, with a 100 per cent utilisation rate during peak days.

Reddy further noted that, apart from regular packages, APTDC has been offering customized packages tailored to pilgrims’ needs.

Under this scheme, pilgrims can reach Tirupati using APTDC buses and, after darshan, choose to visit other destinations based on their preferences. APTDC arranges logistics to facilitate these visits. On average, around 70 pilgrims opt for such customized packages daily, indicating a growing demand.

APTDC’s daily non-local temple package tours from Tirupati cover temples at Karvetinagaram, Nagalapuram, Narayanavanam, Appalayagunta, Nagari, Bugga, and Surutupalli. Additionally, local temple package tours visit prominent shrines, including Tiruchanoor, Thondavada, Srinivasa Mangapuram, Govindaraja Swamy temple, Vakula Matha Temple, and Kapileswara Swamy temple. These tours have been met with a positive response from pilgrims. Moreover, APTDC operates on-demand tours to popular spots like Srikalahasti, Kanipakam and Talakona.

During the 2023-24 fiscal, Tirupati division achieved a gross revenue of Rs.81.38 crore, including GST. The transport wing was the top contributor, accounting for Rs.64.85 crore, while the hotel wing brought in Rs16.53 crore. Looking ahead, Giridhar Reddy emphasised that APTDC plans to introduce several new package tours based on demand trends to further strengthen its position in the tourism sector.