The Efforts are on to evacuate 2000 foreign tourists stranded in Goa, says TTAG

The recent departure of around 371 European tourists from Goa did not end the story since there are still more than 2000 foreign tourists have been stuck in Goa in anticipation of getting back to their respective counties. One of the major tourism body of Goa TTAG has decided to take some serious measures to send the remaining visitors back to their countries.

According to the reports, Due to the COVID 19 Lockdown, Majority of the visitors held back in the coastal state are British, as tourists from various other countries have already flown out, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) president Savio Messias said adding that the efforts are on to evacuate foreign tourists stranded in Goa.

Amid the coronavirus scare the entire country underwent into lockdown mode with everything remaining standstill and without the transport facilities available people cannot move out anywhere, think about the condition of the foreigners who have come down to India of vacation and now struck in the state due to COVID 19 lockdown.

According to the reports, majority of the visitors had been held back in the coastal state are British and Russians since tourists from other countries have been already flown back their respective countries, said Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) president Savio Messias.   

“There must be 1,500 to 2,000 foreigners stranded in Goa. Most of these are Britishers. We are getting calls from a number of foreigners requesting for their evacuation. Some have contacted the British Embassy and Goa Police,” he said.

According to Mr Messias, most of the stranded ones are living in Goa for a long time, maybe some of them had come down to Goa almost six months back, he added. 

“Most of them have been living in rented houses and are facing the problem of procuring essential items. We are helping them in whatever way possible, he said adding that While flights are arriving to carry the tourists back, the worst difficulty faced by them is travelling to the Goa airport as taxis are not plying.      

The TTAG, Goa’s top tourism body, has issued special permits to about 40 taxi drivers to ferry the foreigners, he said. “Some of the foreigners want to stay back in the state as their visas will get renewed automatically,” Mr Messias said.

According to the government directives, the remaining tourists will be flown back their countries in the next couple of days, but there are no concrete movements have been made in that direction till now.

Source: NDTV