Visakhapatnam: Haritha Resorts gives way to 5-star hotel

Visakhapatnam: The one-and-a-half decade old Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation's (APTDC) Haritha Resorts is now in shambles as it is all set to be replaced with a five-star hotel.

Following the ongoing exercise of demolition of the beach resorts amid resistance from the opposition and cross-section of society, the once sought-after resorts, located at Rushikonda Hills, was a special attraction among the tourists because of its beach view and various other features.

Probably, it was one of the main reasons why the occupancy indicated an encouraging response all through the year.

The 57-room facility of the beach resorts comprises a conference hall and a restaurant as well. While some of the old cottages were built in the 80s, the rest came into existence much later.

On an average, about Rs 25 crore revenue was generated from the beach resorts annually. However, since the premises is close to the beach, maintenance cost appears to be high. Last year, 22 rooms were renovated at a cost of Rs2 crore. This apart, the restaurant and conference hall were developed a few years back.

When cyclonic storm Hudhud left a trail of destruction, lakhs of rupees were spent on the beach resorts for its repair and maintenance. Over the years, when things were gradually falling in place, the coronavirus pandemic has hit the business once again.

Lockdowns, travel restrictions and the collapse of the tourism sector have eventually impacted the revenue generation of the beach resorts.

Meanwhile, as a part of the tourism development in the State, the government is focusing on establishing five and seven-star hotels across the state.

In connection with this, Tourism Minister M Srinivasa Rao hinted much earlier that a proposal is made to set up a five-star hotel at the beach resorts and that a project close to Rs150 crore is likely to be grounded in place of APTDC's resort.

However, the demolition exercise is not going down well among various sections of society. The Opposition leaders feel that in the name of development, the government need not demolish the existing resorts.

The TDP and the Jana Sena leaders allege that there was an ulterior motive behind the demolition of the resort. They say that there is 150 acres of land abutting the resorts and five-star hotel could have been constructed there. They further said that public opinion was also not sought.