High costs, slow execution delay caravan tourism in temple city

Tirupati: The much-publicised caravan tourism plan in Tirupati has seen no visible progress, raising concerns over the execution of new tourism projects in the city. As part of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s vision to expand tourism avenues in the temple city, caravan tourism was introduced earlier this year.

A caravan vehicle was showcased in Tirupati during early February in the presence of district officials, including the collector and TUDA chairman. However, after the initial display, the initiative has not moved forward, with no services currently available to tourists.

Officials say the idea was to promote caravan tourism through the public-private partnership model by linking private operators with the tourism department and offering vehicles with national and international standards. The concept was aimed at providing flexible travel experiences for small groups.

However, the high cost appears to be a major constraint. A single-day caravan experience for a group of five to eight persons is estimated at around Rs 30,000, which can go up to Rs 50,000 with additional charges.

For travel beyond 300 kilometres a day, tourists are required to pay about Rs 100 per kilometre. Sources say such pricing limits the appeal largely to high-end tourists, with minimal interest from middle-income visitors.

Tourism observers point out that while Tirupati has strong potential due to its steady inflow of pilgrims, the lack of affordable and diverse tourism products continues to restrict growth. The city remains largely dependent on temple visits, with very few initiatives that encourage visitors to extend their stay.

They also note that the tourism department in the district has not shown consistent progress, with several proposals failing to translate into execution. A senior tourism official, however, said the caravan initiative would be revived. As it was introduced as a promotional activity, further discussions will be held with operators again and review the situation.

However, district officials need to focus on tapping the tourism potential further, as there has been little progress since the YSRCP government’s tenure. Earlier, District Collector Dr S Venkateswar stressed the need for coordinated efforts between the tourism and forest departments to develop popular tourist destinations in the district.

At a coordination meeting held last year, the Collector directed officials to identify key tourist attractions and improve facilities through joint action by the tourism and forest departments, while also promoting livelihood opportunities for local artisans.

Although several proposals were prepared, they have seen little movement so far. With the coalition government now giving priority to the tourism sector, there is a need to revive the pending proposals and plan new initiatives to attract more tourists.