{
  "id": 9731111,
  "title": "Sustainable tourism in Visakhapatnam: Travel beyond the checklist",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/sustainable-tourism-in-visakhapatnam-travel-beyond-the-checklist-9731111",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-25T08:09:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/travel/sustainable-tourism-in-visakhapatnam-travel-beyond-the-checklist/article71502986.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sustainable tourism is gaining traction in Visakhapatnam, with travelers opting for smaller groups, local participation, and a focus on ecosystems. Initiatives along the Eastern Ghats and the Visakhapatnam coast are building experiences around this approach through eco-stays, guided treks, tidepool walks, and scuba diving.\n\nAt Pravaham, an eco-stay near Araku, sustainability is embedded in construction using local resources like soil, hay, timber, and bamboo. The property's design also includes natural temperature regulation and a plant-based memory initiative to encourage guests to engage with the surroundings. Waste management and reduced single-use plastic usage are part of daily practices.\n\nTrek leader Ravi Teja of EcoHikes has reduced group sizes from 30 to around 12, opting for gas stoves and home-cooked meals in the Eastern Ghats. He emphasizes the importance of respecting carrying capacities and warns against the negative impacts of social media on lesser-known landscapes.\n\nThe East Coast Conservation Team (ECCT) along Visakhapatnam's coast engages visitors in tidepool walks, providing a unique perspective on marine life. By limiting group sizes and teaching visitors not to disturb the ecosystem, the team hopes to inspire a sense of responsibility for marine conservation. Similarly, Platypus Escapes uses scuba diving as a means to introduce participants to the underwater world while incorporating conservation practices into the learning process. Subhash Chandran, founder of the team, stresses the importance of recognizing one's role as a visitor in a delicate ecosystem.",
  "summary": "Ahead of World Tourism Day, a look at how four initiatives from Visakhapatnam and the Eastern Ghats are reshaping travel around Nature, communities and low-impact experiences",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu - Sci-Tech",
        "title": "Sustainable tourism in Visakhapatnam: Travel beyond the checklist",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/sustainable-tourism-in-visakhapatnam-travel-beyond-the-checklist",
        "published": "2026-09-25T07:37:39.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}