Even as the Chandrababu Naidu government in Andhra Pradesh is projecting Visakhapatnam as a global investment destination for IT companies and mega industries, it is yet to gain popularity as a tourist destination unlike Goa, which is considered a tourist paradise.
Andhra Pradesh assembly speaker Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu has come out with his own reason why Vizag is not becoming as popular as Goa despite having cosmopolitan culture.
According to him, excessive local restrictions are preventing the city from developing on par with Goa as a tourism hub.
“Officials have been projecting the city’s beaches and natural landscapes as its biggest growth drivers; yet, Vizag fails to attract tourists on the lines of Goa,” he said.
Ayyanna Patrudu said that despite these advantages, Visakhapatnam was far from achieving the kind of tourism boom Goa enjoys.
“There are no restrictions on tourists in Goa. But in Visakhapatnam, there are many. That is why tourism is not developing here,” he remarked on the sidelines of Parnership Summit on Saturday.
In a striking comment, the Speaker asked whether tourists could freely relax on the beaches in the city.
“Will a husband and wife come all the way just to drink tea on the beach?” he said.
He went on to add: “The husband should be able to have a couple of drinks, and the wife should be able to enjoy an ice cream. That is how tourists unwind.”
His remarks have since triggered discussions across political and administrative circles.
Ayyanna Patrudu said he recently visited Goa to meet Governor Ashok Gajapathi Raju and noticed that large numbers of tourists — including many from Hyderabad and other cities — were holidaying without constraints.
“Everyone wants Visakhapatnam to grow as a tourism destination. When tourism improves, revenue increases. But as long as restrictions continue, that won’t happen,” he argued.
The Speaker’s statement has also sparked political chatter as the state is currently governed by the TDP–Jana Sena–BJP coalition.
Critics point out that Ayyanna Patrudu, as an MLA from the ruling Telugu Desam Party and the assembly Speaker, could take up the issue directly with the government to push for policy changes.
Instead, his open criticism of the regulatory environment has raised eyebrows.
Political observers ask why the Speaker chose to publicly blame restrictions instead of formally recommending reforms to the Chandrababu Naidu government.