Rs 20 entry fee for visiting Rushikonda beach in Visakhapatnam from July 11
General public who are planning to visit Rushikonda beach will have to pay an entry fee of Rs 20 from July 11. However, children aged below 10 years will be allowed at free of cost.
VISAKHAPATNAM: General public who are planning to visit Rushikonda, a blue flag-certified beach in Visakhapatnam, will have to pay an entrance fee of Rs 20 from July 11, 2023. However, children aged below 10 years will be allowed at free of cost.
An announcement in this regard was made by Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) officials on Friday. Tourism department regional director Srinivas Pani said that so far, there was no entry fee for the visitors to this beach. From July 11, an entrance fee would be collected to maintain cleanliness on the blue flag-certified beach and to ensure the safety of the visitors.
Srinivas Pani said that Rs 10 which was charged for the use of toilets in the past had been canceled. Also, tourists could use drinking water, toilets and first aid facilities for free. However, visitors would have to pay parking fees for their vehicles.
“About Rs 6 lakh is being spent by the Tourism Department on the monthly wages of beach cleaners, life guards and security guards. This is in addition to the infrastructure maintenance. We have floated tenders with about Rs 2.5 crore to improve more facilities for the visitors of Rushikonda beach,” he said.
According to APTDC officials, the other blue flag-certified beaches at Kovalam in Tamil Nadu, Golden Beach in Puri in Odisha, Kappad Beach in Kerala and Kasarkod Beach in Karnataka were also charging an entrance fee ranging from Rs 20 to 50 on the recommendation of the Society of Integrated Coastal Management.