PANJIM: While December-end has come as a breather for Goa tourism that hitherto witnessed one of the lowest seasons this year, the State Tourism department has decided to widen the focus of promotional activities beyond certain regions and ongoing travel exhibitions.
The department believes that marketing Goa through social media such as Facebook, Twitter and related websites could bridge shortfall of visitors to the coastal State.
“We are all out to promote different aspects of Goa via facebook, twitter, other websites and more. For now, travel exhibitions both at domestic and international level are marketing Goa Tourism aggressively,” Tourism Director Ameya Abhyankar told Herald.
The State revenue has suddenly taken a dip owing to shortage of tourists’ arrivals, particularly foreign visitors. Goa government has conceded that Russians, who topped international arrivals chart until last year, has come down by 35 per cent this year and this has been coupled with cancellation of a few charters.
Herald took a stock of ground reality in the northern coastal belt – where tourists throng in large numbers to find that business establishments are the major impacted due to shortfall of tourists.
The tourism industry has maintained positive attitude as it expects the two ongoing Electronic Dance Music festivals will draw lakhs of tourists while also the exposition of the Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier has been drawing an impressive number of pilgrims from across the world.
Abhyankar went on to add that tourism activities from its calendar of events scheduled in 2015 are also in the process of being marketed aggressively. “The Grape Escapade, heritage festival, Carnival, Shigmo, food and cultural events will be promoted on a much larger scale. This is in addition to new activities including Seaplanes, Hot Air Ballooning, seaway tours, amphibious vehicles and luxury yachts to be launched shortly,” he said.
The department has also planned to explore countries beyond UK and Russia. Tourism minister Dilip Parulekar is quoted as saying that other European and CIS countries will be among several other nations it will target to bring in tourists to Goa.
Recording
arrivals
In a new initiative to record the tourists’ arrivals by rail and road, the tourism department is in the process to rope in Indian Railways, Konkan Railways, Road Transport agencies and Toll Booths at State borders to provide data of tourists’ entry to Goa.
“We have begun taking an inventory of tourist arrivals by rail and road. It will provide more accurate figure on tourist arrivals to Goa. These agencies will be asked to furnish data of tourist arrivals based on bookings and vehicles’ entry into the State, the director said.
