VISAKHAPATNAM: Call it an attempt to attract tourism or prepping the ground for the future IT hub, the Port City is all set to join the metro cities which offer quality night life. In addition to the recently started city night tour, Vizag will soon get two night bazaars - one at Shilparamam and the other on the Beach Road. If this clicks, the civic authorities might well permit eateries and other places to remain open at least up to midnight.
The Tourism Department already started a night tour of Visakhapatnam city recently and will be conducting the tour from 4 pm to 9.30 pm. While the city has numerous places to promote and the Tourism Department is already running day tours, the night tour has come as a fresh lease of life for promoting night life in the city. The Tourism Department has already revealed its plans to establish a night bazaar at Shilparamam which would be open from 1 pm to 11 pm in view of the increasing demand for flexible timings for shopping and entertainment.
The proposed facilities include shopping arena, entertainment and children’s zone apart from food courts. Another night bazaar is also in the pipeline at the Beach Road. The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has already identified the site opposite Nova East Point House on the Beach Road and a detailed report is being prepared by the authorities. The night bazaar will have restaurants, eateries and small shops selling various products to attract tourists.
“The project is in its preliminary stage. Initially, we plan to open it up to midnight and if the project is successful, people can visit shops and eateries up to 2 am,” said a municipal official. He said that though many people frequent the Beach Road during the night, many of them are disappointed to find all restaurants and other eateries closed by 11 pm. Hence, the new initiative, which will be realised within another three-four months, might attract more visitors to the beach during the night.
“The objective is to promote night life in the city. Though people especially tourists love to stay out till late in the night, there are not enough places including eateries for them to hangout late. As the state government wants to develop Vizag as an IT hub and night life is one of the attractions for IT crowds, we have more plans to promote the city’s night life in a phased manner,” said a Tourism Department official. The first phase of night tourism promotion will be taken up as part of the 100-day programme of the department.