ELURU TOURISM

Papikondalu Resorts

Papikonda Eco-Tourism Center is an initiative of Andhra Pradesh Forest Department and maintained through Papikonda CBET, under Community Based EcoTourism concept. Members of Papikonda CBET are Konda Reddy tribals and they are one of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in India. Papikonda Eco-Tourism Center is initiated by the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department as per the ecotourism policy of both State and Union government to provide financial benefits and empowerment to the local people and to promote sustainable, equitable and community based eco-tourism inside natural areas for improving the living standards of the indigenous host communities and to create a stake in conservation of the environment besides offering the best experience to the nature loving tourists.

The Community Based Eco- Tourism under the name of Papikonda Eco-Tourism Center is formed to allow the general public to enjoy nature along with inculcation of the essence of conservation of wild resources. Papikonda Eco-Tourism Center is a source of livelihood for the Papikonda CBET memebers. Basically, the Papikonda CBET, Koruturu is formed by drawing some of the VSS members from Siriwaka VSS and they were trained with basics of hospitality. A 15 member management committee is formed with 50% women representation. The account is maintained by the management committee under a joint account opened on the name of the chairman and vice-chairman of the management committee and forest officer concerned who is the member secretary of the committee. Funds collected will be utilised for protection of ecosystem and aslo for development of tribal community managing the CBET.