HYDERABAD: The long weekend in view Ganesh Chaturthi has got many people out of their houses to travel to nearby local destinations. A strong vaccination drive across the state has improved the travel sentiment among families.
Local destinations such as Srisailam, Warangal, Ramappa Temple, Narsapur forest, Nagarjunasagar, Anantagiri Hills are preferred destinations among travellers, who are preferring their own vehicles to visit these places.
“Our idea was to get away from the hustle bustle of the city and visit a location which was closer to the environment. Therefore, we have decided to visit Srisailam which is barely a three-four hours’ drive from the city. The idea is to also go on a hike in the forest area,” said Devesh Vishnu, an IT employee.
The Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (TSTDC) expects the number of travellers to the local destinations to increase during the ensuing weekend.
“Temple tourism has always been in rage in Telangana. However, due to monsoon and world heritage tag to Ramappa temple, the number of travellers to places such as Nagarjunasagar, Srisailam and Warangal have substantially increased. During the ensuing weekend too, we are expecting a 10-15% rise among travellers,” said Upppala Srinivas Gupta, chairman, TSTDC.
The pandemic has led to a shift towards more private vacations, as people are choosing private villas over fancy hotels. Families wanting to wash off the pandemic fatigue are finding more comfort and safety at holiday homes.
“We will be visiting the Anantagiri Hills during the weekend. We have booked a private villa near Vikarabad where we would be spending three days amid mango trees. The idea is to stay safe even while travelling,” said Shouvik Pal, a software engineer.
