Travel firms pick out many holiday spots near city

The youngest state in the country offers a perfect year-end and Sankranti holiday getaway that is not too heavy on the pocket.

With holidays in the offing and well-laid out roads and attractive tourists spots, it is perfect chance to skip the monotonous city life and indulge in a short getaway. Following the bifurcation of the State, tourism footfalls in Telangana stae increased tremendously.

Erstwhile districts of Warangal, Khammam, Karimnagar and Adilabad apart from Hyderabad and Secunderabad have emerged as popular destinations in Telangana state as per travel site Tripadvisor.

These were among the preferred destinations people were expected to flock to this holiday season.

The spots provided basic amenities like toilets and eateries. Travel enthusiast Sunil Yadav said, “Warangal has emerged as one of the best places for both families and youngsters for a short getaway. Besides religious places, there were some good places to visit like Ramappa temple, Laknavaram, Pakal wildlife sanctuary and lake. The facilities at the locations were decent though hospitality services can be better”.

Some places in Khammam and Adilabad remained unscathed by commercialisation, making people feel close to nature.

A recent visitor to Bogatha waterfalls, Mr Vara Prasad, said, “The place is good for a short trip. I wonder if there is any place to stay. There were some basic amenities at the location.”

Tourists were embarking on domestic travel for shorter and pocket-friendly trips. However, the hospitality at these locations for overnight stay could be improved tremendously, they felt.

According to travel operator Cleartrip, Hyderabad and Vishakapatnam provided the best tourist amenities required for a smooth transit during travel. Furthermore, the operator rated Tirupati and Rajamundry as preferred choices after that. Travellers preferred new destinations within the region for quick getaways along with traditional sightseeing.

Since the formation of Telangana state, there was an increase in both domestic and foreign tourism.

International tourists were not only visiting Hyderabad but also the surrounding areas of Vikarabad, Ranga Reddy, Medchal and Warangal Urban.

But, domestic tourism was the highest in the erstwhile Waran-gal, Adilabad, Mahbub-nagar, Karimnagar and Hyderabad districts last year, according to tourism authorities.

Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Rajamundry were places with decent amenities and transport facilities, said Cleartrip

Erstwhile districts of Warangal, Khammam, Karimnagar and Adilabad emerged as popular destinations in Telangana state, apart from Hyderabad.