BALLOON FESTIVAL ARAKU ~THE FLIP SIDE~
14 to 16 November 2017 As a tourist event this was most ineffective. Visitors to the event were mainly Vizagites with a few from surrounding districts and Hyderabad. Pretty pictures but that's it It will be argued that the images of the colourful balloons floating over pristine green meadows inserted into emedia and airline magazines will give Araku a great boost. True, but when the tourists come where will the stay? Where will they go? What will they do? Already hordes of tourists from Bengal and other states come in the colder months stressing the town to its limits. These are quantity tourists with low power capita expenditure and is the worst thing that can happen to this eco sensitive part of our Eastern Ghats. Araku is damaged goods it is hardly ready for any more tourists. Did we sell our tourism to those who came? The organisers did not even take the opportunity to sell our destination to the foreign balloon crew. They had no clue of the social, heri