Andhra gives nod to operate 5 luxury tourist boats in backwaters of Vijayawada’s Berm, Suryalanka Beach
The boats will be operated by the private parties and the move is aimed at giving a boost to the tourism sector
By - Sri Lakshmi Muttevi
File Photo
Amaravati : Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation has granted preliminary approval for five ultra-luxury tourist boats in the backwaters of Vijayawada’s Berm area and Suryalanka Beach.
The boats will be operated by the private parties. The move is aimed at giving a boost to the tourism sector.
As part of the initiative, the private operators will construct five jetties at the two locations and provide electricity facilities for the boats.
Permissions for boat designs will be obtained from the Inland Waterways Authority of India, after which construction will begin. Officials said the boats are expected to be ready for operations by October 2026.
The coalition government has been making sustained efforts over the past year to introduce ultra-luxury boat tourism in the state’s rivers, sea and backwaters, on the lines of Kerala, through private participation.
Interested companies were invited, and a firm already operating luxury boats in Kerala has come forward to run two vessels between Berm Park and Pavitra Sangam in partnership with an Andhra Pradesh-based company. A survey covering a 20-kilometre stretch has also been completed.
Of the two boats proposed for the Vijayawada stretch, one will feature five bedrooms and a conference hall with a capacity of 100 people, while the other will be designed to host dinner cruises for up to 200 guests. Jetty and electricity facilities will be provided at Bhavani Island, where the boats will be docked at night.
In addition, three ultra-luxury boats will be operated by private companies in the backwaters from Nagarjuna Canal to Nizampatnam near Suryalanka Beach in Bapatla district.
These boats will have varying accommodation capacities, with one featuring four bedrooms, another three bedrooms, and the third two bedrooms. Tourists will be able to travel up to 30 kilometres through the scenic backwaters, with several picturesque locations identified along the route.
Meanwhile, the Tourism Development Corporation is conducting feasibility studies to introduce similar ultra-luxury boat services in Rajahmundry, along the Visakhapatnam coast, in the Godavari River near Kakinada, and at Nagarjunasagar.
Once the studies are completed, tenders will be invited from intere sted private operators.
