The Tourism Department expects 1,200-odd charter flights during the first week of October.
“We will receive the first charter plane ‘Fly Dubai’ in the first week of October… Last tourist season, we had over 900 charter flights, while this season we are looking forward to welcome over 1200 charters,” Tourism Director Ameya Abhyankar told Herald indicating increase in the number of arrivals this tourist season.
This year the decennial exposition of the relics of St Francis Xavier will be an added attraction.
The expected increase of about 30 per cent in the chartered flight arrivals is despite the Ukraine-Russia crisis. The department is confident that the economic slowdown in Russia will not affect the inflow of tourists to Goa.
“There are talks of some tour operators going bankrupt due to recession in those countries. I don’t think it will affect us. With the exposition, inbound charter arrivals as well as domestic visitors are expected to increase. I don’t think it is much of a worry,” he said.
Tourists from Russia from the largest number of foreign travelers to Goa. They have been topping the arrivals chart in the recent past by accounting for more than 70 percent. Russian arrivals have seen an increase with every passing year.
“We have participated in a number of promotional activities. Moreover, the fan delegation we recently held involving Kazakhstan and Armenia showed great liking for Goa,” the Abhyankar disclosed.
