Vizag marks World Tourism Day with heritage walks, cultural festivities

Visakhapatnam marked World Tourism Day with a heritage walk through the Old Town on Sunday morning and cultural festivities at Dutt Island in Siripuram later in the day, as tourism officials outlined plans to expand water sports along the coastline and improve connectivity to destinations such as Araku and Simhachalam.

The evening celebrations were attended by the district in-charge Minister Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, District Collector M. Abhishikth Kishore, Commissioner of Police Shankhabrata Bagchi, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Commissioner Ketan Garg, MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, MLC Vepada Chiranjeevi Rao, and the Tourism Department officials. The programme featured Dhimsa and Kuchipudi performances among other cultural presentations, and drew large numbers of youth.

The celebrations, organised by the Department of Tourism, drew participation from the district administration, the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), students and members of the hospitality sector.