A.P. seeks CRZ reclassification for Vizag Beach Road to boost tourism projects

Andhra Pradesh Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh on Tuesday (February 24) informed the State Legislative Assembly that the State had been requesting the Centre to reclassify the Visakhapatnam Beach Road from Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)-3 to Zone 2 and remove hurdles to construction of tourism projects there.

Responding to a question raised by Visakhapatnam South MLA Ch. Vamsi Krishna Srinivas, the Minister expressed hope that the implementation of CRZ-2019 norms would ease restrictions. He said Visakhapatnam was the crown jewel of Andhra Pradesh’s tourism sector and that the coalition government was committed to developing it into an international tourism destination.

Under the new Tourism Policy (2024–29), he said Visakhapatnam was being developed as an “Anchor Hub” under the Hub-and-Spoke model. The plan included thematic circuits such as Simhachalam temple tourism, Buddhist circuit, beach tourism and eco-tourism. Through the recent CII Summit, the State secured 50 MoUs worth ₹8,650 crore for Visakhapatnam and surrounding areas. Leading hospitality brands such as The Oberoi Group, Taj Hotels, Mayfair Hotels and Resorts and Atmosphere Core were set to establish projects in the city. Additionally, the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) had approved 16 projects, attracting investments of ₹4,098 crore to create 2,858 hotel rooms, he added.

Under the Central government’s PRASAD scheme, ₹54.04 crore had been allocated for development of the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Simhachalam, while ₹28.87 crore had been sanctioned under Swadesh Darshan 2.0 for development of the Borra Caves. Adventure and water sports activities, including scuba diving and paramotoring had been launched at Rushikonda, Thimmapuram, Sagar Nagar Beach and the Gosthani backwaters near Bheemili, with over 25 activities initiated in the past six months, he informed.

The Minister said the government was also planning a Buddhist circuit connecting Thotlakonda and Bavikonda, in collaboration with travel partners. Proposals had been made for sea cruise circuits linking Visakhapatnam–Bhubaneswar–Kolkata and Visakhapatnam–Chennai–Tuticorin. Plans were underway to introduce seaplane services between Visakhapatnam and Araku and heli-tourism, and cruise services connecting Visakhapatnam–Chennai–Puducherry. Caravan buses had been introduced between Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, along with a new caravan policy to establish caravan parks across the State. Hop-on hop-off double-decker buses between Visakhapatnam and Bheemili had also been launched to enhance tourist mobility, he said.

The Minister claimed that the tourism sector suffered setbacks during 2019–24, but the coalition government revived it and was moving forward with a strategy to develop Visakhapatnam, Amaravati, and Tirupati as three major tourism hubs.