Dasara Rush Looms, But North Andhra’s Tourism Potential Remains Untapped

With the Dasara holiday season just days away, concerns are mounting across north Andhra over inadequate infrastructure at several major tourist destinations.

Every year, thousands of visitors from West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and across Andhra Pradesh flock to the region’s beaches, hill stations, waterfalls and tribal areas. Tourism stakeholders, however, say development has failed to keep pace with the growing footfalls.

North Andhra offers a variety of attractions that are special. The region stretches from the scenic beaches of Srikakulam district to the mist-covered hills of Araku Valley, Lambasingi and Vanjangi in Alluri Sitharama Raju district. Waterfalls tucked away in dense forests, winding ghat roads, coffee plantations, tribal culture, Borra Caves, Madagada Sunrise Point, Chaparai, Galikonda View Point, Cheruvulavenam and several unexplored valleys continue to draw nature lovers.

Tourism figures reflect the region’s growing popularity. According to tourism department data, Srikakulam district alone recorded 85.68 lakh domestic tourists and 39 foreign visitors in 2025. During the first seven months of 2026, monthly arrivals rose to several lakhs, indicating sustained tourist interest.

Despite the rising footfall, many destinations remain underdeveloped. A tourism inventory prepared by the Alluri Sitharama Raju district administration classifies only 20 locations as well-developed destinations. Seven others are developing, while nine are listed as low-developed-potential destinations.

These include the Chittampadu, Ranajilda, Yerravaram and Taarab waterfalls, Sujanakota Islands, Uppa trees and several unexplored viewpoints. The Tomkota waterfalls, Cheruvulavenam, the Dhara Konda Waterfalls and Vaikunta Giri Viewpoint have also been identified as tourism sites awaiting development.

In neighbouring Parvathipuram Manyam district, several waterfalls and nature destinations remain part of the emerging tourism circuits. The Mettuguda, Sunnapu Gedda, Lodda, Benarai, Kurukutti, Kusha, Kushaloya and Adaparai waterfalls are among the attractions identified for development.

The district has also proposed a `27-crore hill resort at Jagathipalli and a `4-crore Tribal Museum at Seethampeta, but neither project has emerged as a major tourist attraction.

Tourism promoters say north Andhra’s biggest challenge is not a lack of attractions, but a shortage of essential facilities. Many tourist spots lack good roads, parking, accommodation, food courts, sanitation, information centres and recreational activities. While states such as Odisha and Karnataka have aggressively promoted eco-tourism and adventure tourism, north Andhra has yet to fully harness its natural advantages.

Several projects announced for the agency region in recent years also remain on paper.

The state government proposed homestay tourism clusters in Araku Valley, Lambasingi and Maredumilli and forwarded proposals under the Swadesh Darshan scheme to the Centre.

The authorities also announced plans for caravan tourism parks in Madagada, Munchangiputtu, and Lambasingi in the Paderu division, and in Rampachodavaram and Gandhinagaram in the Rampachodavaram division. However, little progress is evident on the ground.

Araku Valley is perhaps the most-striking example. The Eat Street and Tribal Hut projects, sanctioned in 2018, remain incomplete. A `7-crore tourism project planned across 18 acres near Araku was intended to provide international-standard food and tourism amenities, but work reportedly halted midway due to funding constraints.

The Tribal Hut project also remains unfinished, while a `2 crore drive-in restaurant near Haritha Hill Resort remains underutilised for years.

Infrastructure projects linked to several sites face similar delays. The sanctioned road to the Katika waterfalls remains incomplete years after approval. Work on the Thadiguda waterfalls road has made little progress, while the road project sanctioned for the Vanjangi hills continues to face delays. Obviously, these bottlenecks are preventing north Andhra from realising its full tourism potential.

With the Dasara season likely to bring another surge in visitors, industry representatives are urging the authorities to move beyond announcements and accelerate infrastructure development. Better facilities, homestays, adventure activities and improved connectivity could transform north Andhra into one of south India’s leading tourism destinations and attract significantly more domestic and international visitors.