Hot air Balloon Festival in Tirupati
AP Tourism teams up with New Delhi-based firm to introduce the Hot air Ballon experience in Tirupati. Residents of Thummalagunta and Avilala villages, on the outskirts of Tirupati, were amazed to find huge balloon-like objects floating in the backdrop of the foggy sky. The cricket ground, situated near the Bypass Road on the city outskirts, was abuzz with activity as the Andhra Pradesh Tourism, in association with New Delhi-based E Factor Adventure Tourism Pvt. Ltd., launched the first-ever ‘hot air ballooning’ activity in the temple city. The ‘Balloon Safari’ rides, as the State intends to promote it, are expected to boost tourism, particularly during the ongoing 104th Indian Science Congress (ISC). People had a rare opportunity to watch hot air balloons with ISC logo gliding across the morning sky. The trial run was held in the early hours of January 3 to coincide with the ISC inaugural ceremony. “We have three normal-shaped hot air balloons along with one special-shaped one in Tirupati. While the first three can carry passengers, the fourth— a night glow — is used with tethering and for promotional purposes. It is a special balloon named ‘Bobo — The Happy Lobster’, as it resembles a lobster,” a representative of Sky Waltz-Balloon Safari, a unit of the E Factor Adventure Tourism, told The Hindu . Sky Waltz Chief of Operations Paul Macpherson, who conducted the first official balloon safari here on Thursday, said they had been organising hot air ballooning activities for the past nine years across Rajasthan, Maharashtra and during balloon festivals. He said more than 7,000 tourists had undertaken balloon safaris in Rajasthan in 2016. District Collector Siddharth Jain said the rides would continue till the ISC concluded on January 7. The feasibility of conducting hot air balloon balloon rides as tourist activity would be studied, according to tourism officials. source: http://www.thehindu.com/
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