Ajit John
PANJIM: Initial steps to attract tourist from new countries to Goa have been made with a familiarisation trip being made by Rumanian tour operators. Organised by Anthony Pereira of Alpha Holidays in association with Fly Dubai it is hoped that this exercise will result in a number of Rumanians making a trip to the state.
Camelia Dragan of Happy Cruises one of the 14 travel agents who is visiting said it was always a pleasure to come to India which was considered a cultural destination back home.
Asked about her impressions of Goa she said “I thought there would be a more distinct Portuguese culture here but it is very Indian. Yes there are a few buildings which have been built in the Portuguese style but otherwise it’s ok.”
Asked about the infrastructure present in the state she said it was important to have good hotels since Rumanian tourists would want to stay in five star hotels near the beach when they visit Goa.
She however bemoaned the poor state of the roads which made travelling a bouncy experience. The airport, she said had surprised her considering the fact she had once travelled to Varanasi by air and had experienced the service or the absence of it at that city’s airport. The buses she said were very bad and Rumanians could not be expected to use the local bus service.
Rumanians she said liked visiting Asia with 2 million Rumanians travelling abroad every year which amounted to approximately 10% of the population.
The destinations that were popular she said were Thailand, China, Bali and India which she said was a cultural destination. Rumanians usually came to India for seven to ten days she said and if any of them wanted to visit Goa it would be for a period of four to five days.
Asked what had prompted him to initiate this, Anthony Pereira said the time was ripe to look for new markets. The days when charters would bring in tourists, he said were over and it was time to look at other markets. Charters he said just ensured numbers and nothing else. Goa he said had to move up and attract tourists from new markets. There was he said no point in depending on old markets or just one market which would bring its own set of problems.
He said “I am looking at places like Croatia, Zagreb, and other places to attract tourists. We just had a Lebanese delegation that came over and checked the facilities. They are big on MICE and are interested in Goa.” In addition he said there were an increasing number of tourists from Iran and countries from the gulf which could only increase in the years to come.
Nikhil Desai, MD GHRSSIDC said the state had contributed approximately $1.8 billion in foreign currency to the total earnings of $17 odd billion in 2013 making the state one of the major contributors of foreign exchange.
and the department was looking at other markets around the world to increase numbers and more importantly revenue.
