The Travel and
Tourism Association of Goa has officially confirmed that the visit of a Chinese delegation of
communicators to plan a PR and information dissemination exercise in the
Chinese markets to promote Goa as a destination, has been put on hold.
The TTAG had
contacted companies and professionals in China in a bid to select an agency or
a firm which would promote Goa in the digital and traditional platforms, in
different Chinese languages. The TTAG, according to its president Savio
Messias, had finally selected one agency and had asked them to come to Goa.
“The government is backing it” Messias said.
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This was needed
because the minimal avenues of digital as well as offline promotions, do not
apply in China, where even WhatsApp is blocked and its equivalent WeeChat is
used.
However, in view of
the fast spreading corona virus, in the Wuhan province, in other parts of China
and with reported cases in Australia and the USA, the visit of this delegation
has been kept on hold, confirmed Messias. “We were looking forward to the
arrival of the delegation, but it’s best that in the circumstances, we wait.”
TTAG has also
initiated contact with Air Asia airlines to operate a wide bodied aircraft from
Kuala Lumpur to Goa. This would facilitate the movement of travelers form
cities in China, connected by the airline to Goa though Kuala Lumpur.
The
Corona Virus has not just out paid to those plans for now but may even prompt a
total rethink on the attempted China tourist ‘invasion’ in Goa.
