HYDERABAD: As
World Tourism Day
was observed on Thursday, historic monuments in the city were in a state of neglect. While the day marked an opportunity for authorities to contribute to their maintenance and protection, there were hardly any plan or initiative to bring focus on heritage of the city.
When asked about events planned to mark the tourism day,
B Venkatesham
, secretary, youth advancement, tourism and culture, said, “As there is a government of India event already on in New Delhi, we had to postpone celebrations for next month. We shall have some events in the first week of October.”
A number of historical monuments and tourist spots that have potential to attract visitors in good number are lying neglected. From tombs to lakes, poor maintenance and official apathy turned them into places crying out for much needed attention.
On promoting lesserknown tourist places, Sunita M Bhagwat, commissioner of tourism,
Telangana, said authorities have decided to spread their wings. “We are focusing on lesser-known places in the state. In Hyderabad, there are city tours, heritage tours and walks for tourists to provide insight into various historic structures.”
P Anuradha Reddy, INTACH convener in Hyderabad, said promoting tourism required everyone’s effort. “Everyone should be involved in protecting the culture and heritage of the city. It should be a responsible tourism, a tourism that educates and elevates,” said Reddy.
In 2017, the city registered an impressive growth in foreign tourist arrivals to Hyderabad – a 76% jump in foreign footfall from 2016, according to Telangana tourism department. As many as 2.47 lakh foreign tourists visited Hyderabad in 2017 as compared to 1.63 lakh in 2016. Interestingly, the rise in foreign tourist arrivals was attributed to increase in number of meetings, conferences and exhibitions.
Should the city rely on official conferences and business showpieces to boost tourism or will the authorities start making concrete efforts to maintain and protect the historic structures is a question that needs to be answered without delay.