Tourism revenue hit with Samaikyandhra protests

Tirupati: The tourism industry has been severely hit by the ongoing Samaikyandhra agitations. The revenue has come down from an average of Rs. 3.50 crore per month in Chittoor district to just Rs. 1.25 crore. The occupancy or accommodation in various hotels and in buses has also declined during the last one month. The tourism bus operations were also affected in and around the city.

Prasad Reddy, Tourism Officer (Tirupati division), said that there has been a fall in the number of tourists visiting the temple town in the entire month of August and the revenue also fell drastically. Due to the complete suspension of APSRTC bus services, pilgrims and tourists cancelled their visit, he added.

The average occupancy of accommodation at Horsely Hills and other places was between 90% and 95%, but with the ongoing agitations, it was confined to not more than 35%, he said. Though the lion’s share of tourists arriving at Horsely Hills was from private vehicles, the unexpected road blockades on State and National highways forced the tourists to cancel their tour programmes.

The tourism department has also cancelled few buses from regular operations due to the poor demand from tourists. Prasad Reddy said that tourism department has 36 buses in Tirupati for visiting Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy temple in Srinivasa Mangapuram, Sri Padmavathi Ammavari temple in Tiruchanur, Sri Prasanna Venkateswara Swamy temple in Appalayagunta and few other temples in Nagalapuram and other places and 24 buses arriving at Tirupati and leaving to several places. But now, they were operating five or six buses daily since August, he added.

He said that prevalence of unrest is the main constraint to pilgrims and tourists coming from Chennai and other parts of the State. The situation is no better in Kadapa and Nellore districts, he said.