Goa: With shaky foreign markets, domestic visitors spell hope

Times of India | 2 months ago | 28-09-2022 | 04:40 pm

Goa: With shaky foreign markets, domestic visitors spell hope

PANAJI: Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) along with Skal Goa and Goa tourism celebrated the 42nd edition of World Tourism Day on Tuesday on the optimistic note that all segments in the sector will see healthy business now that the challenging times are over. International tourism is set to begin by mid-October, but TTAG is keeping its fingers crossed in the hope that the e-visa issue pertaining to UK travellers will end. "With the e-visa issue not sorted out as yet, and Russia and Ukraine still at war, nothing can be said at present, but we expect the season to be good for all segments of the industry," TTAG president Nilesh Shah told TOI. He said that early estimates show there will be some charter flights from the UK, Kazakhstan and Russia from next month. However, the numbers may not be big. Even if the foreign arrivals are low for yet another season, Shah said that the industry will be driven by domestic footfalls - weddings, conferences, families and others. Throughout the four monsoon months, Goa saw a steady flow of domestic tourists, and starred hotels fared extremely well. "We had events to bring about awareness about negative environmental footprints left by tourism activities and what care should be taken as we proceed further," Shah said. Tourism secretary Ravi Dhavan said that Goa is a brand by itself. The state has bounced back well post-pandemic. "The Mopa international airport will be a game changer for tourism in Goa and the season ahead looks bright," Dhavan said. The new airport is likely to be commissioned before the end of this year. Chairman of Goa Tourism Development Corporation Ganesh Gaonkar said that the beauty of Goa lies in its hinterlands and extensive efforts will be made to explore this segment. During the day, a series of events were held to emphasise the importance of a sustainable approach to tourism. A boat ride for specially-abled children was held. A walking tour at the 88-acre Raj Bhavan estate as well as heritage walks in Panaji, Saligao, Margao and Old Goa were also held.

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