The Union Ministry of Tourism has conferred the National Tourism Award on Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) for the year 2008-09. VUDA was awarded in the ‘Best Civic Management of a Tourist Destination in India’ category. VUDA has taken up many eco-friendly tourism projects in the port and steel city like user-friendly amenities and arrangements, maintenance of facilities, use of best waste management practices and encouragement of re-use and recycling systems.