TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Governor B V Wanchoo on Wednesday emphasized on the need to promote sustainable and clean tourism with effective regulatory measures to arrest undesirable activities mushrooming in the name of tourism in Goa.
Wanchoo was speaking at the inaugural of the three-day Goa International Travel Mart (GITM) that opened in Goa Wednesday evening. The third edition of GITM will have over 100 international buyers and 25 international travel trade media representing 30 countries. Over 250 domestic buyers and 35 domestic travel trade media are also participating.
Goa Tourism Department which is hosting the event has claimed that the buyers from countries across Europe and South Asia have agreed to participate in this B2B (Business to Business) event which is on from April 2 to 4 at Dr Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Stadium, Taleigao plateau.
Addressing the gathering, Governor said that there is urgent need for adopting sustainable measures and promoting ethically and morally acceptable norms for tourism related activities.
“Every region in the world has its own unique and peculiar cultural qualities, moral values and social ethos. Hence the development, be it in tourism should not in any way tarnish or impinge upon these qualities or promote undesirable and unacceptable traits,” he said.
Wanchoo said that there is need to balance development with cultural and social values in the best overall interest. “We therefore need to promote sustainable and clean tourism which should be in fact our forte,” he said adding effective regulatory measures need to be put in place to arrest undesirable activities, if any, in the name of tourism so that development and tourism go hand in hand.’
The countries such as the USA, UK, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Turkey, Italy, Czech Republic, Russia, Poland, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Malaysia, Argentina, Philippines, UAE, Mexico, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand are participating at GITM.
This event has travel companies, hoteliers, state tourism boards and other leisure enterprises under one roof to showcase the tourism investment potential in Goa.
Principal Secretary Tourism R K Srivastava, Director Tourism Nikhil Dessai and President Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) Francisco Braganza were present among others.
