VIJAYAWADA: Since its reopening on September 8, Bhavani Island received just 71 reservations, 12 of which were cancelled and refunds were issued. The APTDC has refunded a total amount of Rs 29,998 towards cancellation of the reservations.
“Compared to what we earned from April to October last year, the revenue generated this year through hotel and cottage bookings was Rs 90 lakh less,” said Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) Executive Director Y Satyanarayana.
The island incurred a monthly loss of approximately Rs 20 lakh between April and October. Recent floods have only added to the corporation’s woes even as the island looks at major restoration project. “We are yet to inspect the damages and can only hope that they are not much,” said an official from Bhavani Island. After the 2019 floods, the authorities spent around Rs 50 lakh only on cleaning and landscaping.
As the water levels now are almost similar to last year’s, the island stares at another loss of Rs 50-Rs 80 lakh.
Berm Park has also suffered a loss of over Rs 1 crore due to the pandemic. Though the accommodation facility at the park received 456 reservations, the income is not sufficient as guests cannot come and actually stay at the hotels due to the flooding.
“When tourists come, they spend on food and take part in boating and other activities. There was not much income as all water sports activities have been restricted on the instruction of the irrigation department in the wake of floods,” the APTDC executive director said. Meanwhile, the APTDC has found another way to generate income.
“Though we are not getting enough bookings, we have been supplying food to quarantine centres across the State. It is helping us generate Rs 10 crore per month,” said Satyanarayana. “When we reopened, the occupancy rate was 10 per cent, which had increased to 34 per cent before we closed the island again due to the floods. When we reopen in another two to three days, the occupancy rate may improve to 50 per cent,” he added.