The Decline in a tourism business has become the fate of Goa and with every year the number kept coming down. The number of international tourists arriving in Goa during the current season has declined by almost ten percent. To reverse this trend during the coming tourist season, the State government is undertaking various measures. Let us take a look…
In the wake of an almost ten percent slide in the arrival of international tourists in Goa during the current season, the government is resorting to various measures to reverse the trend for the new season.
Speaking to the Times of India, Tourism Minister Manohar Ajogankar said that the state government is hopeful that the trend will be reversed in the upcoming tourist season beginning post-monsoon.
He cited various factors like slow down in economies worldwide for the slide in international tourist footfalls. The Tourism department has also identified poor infrastructure and unclean beaches as the main reasons for a drop in the number of international tourists.
According to the source, as per data from the Tourism Department, the number of foreign chartered flights has gone down from around 1900 to 1500 in the ongoing tourist season.
According to a senior official of the Tourism department, Goa attracts around 60 lakh domestic travelers and around four lakh international visitors per year, who arrive by chartered or scheduled flights. Destinations from Russia, a major contributor of tourists, have already wound up their chartered flights much before the end of the season.
The Minister, however, clarifies that the influx of domestic tourists has remained steady. “There is no issue as far as visits of domestic tourists are concerned. The tourism department is largely looking at inviting high spending travelers who will be contributing to the economy of the state,” he said.
Further according to the Times of India, the Goa government is undertaking various measures that include aggressively marketing the tourism potential of Goa at various forums.
“We are hopeful that things would surely improve by the next season which will kick off after monsoon. We have been involved in extensive marketing and showcasing of Goa across different destinations through travel marts, exhibitions, and other events,” the minister said.
To ensure beaches are safe and clean the department has put various measures in place. “Beaches in Goa will be marked as ‘no swimming zones’ tentatively from the first week of June when rains are expected to hit the state,” explained Ajgaonkar while adding that the tourism department has engaged a beach cleaning agency which has been working round-the-clock to keep the shorelines clean.
“We have also introduced a concept of reporting garbage piled on the beaches on WhatsApp. If anyone reports about garbage lying strewn on the WhatsApp number of the department, immediate attention is given to clean it up.”
Further elaborating their plans to the Times of India, Ajgaonkar said efforts are underway to boost international tourist footfall by allowing events like Sunburn Electronic Dance Music Festival.”
Image source: Scroll
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