PORVORIM: As the tourism sector strives to meet the growing challenges due to emerging competition both at the national and international levels, the Goa government is now aiming to focus on a ‘Goa Beyond Beaches’ concept. The objective is to promote unexplored areas like spiritual, cultural, rural, hinterland, and wildlife tourism, among others.
Speaking during the demand for grants for tourism, Minister Rohan Khaunte expressed the State’s keenness to improve ties with other countries and States for improved air connectivity through Manohar International Airport, Mopa. He emphasized the need for ‘quality over quantity’ in tourism.
Khaunte said that the Covid-19 pandemic was a learning experience for Goa, shedding light on its over-dependence on UK and Russian tourists. “We have taken the lesson and tried to understand where we are going wrong and how to tackle the tourism ahead. We have understood that every state in India is today looking at tourism development, and we are facing multiple competitors,” he said. He added, “All this while, we have been known as a destination for beaches and party life, but the time has come where we need to explore ‘Goa Beyond Beaches’, as tourists visiting the state are looking beyond beaches now.”
The government is now focusing on unexplored areas such as cultural and heritage tourism, wellness and spiritual tourism, hinterland tourism, backwaters, nature and wildlife tourism, rural tourism, agro tourism, besides creating new tourism services.
To boost the sector, Minister Khaunte announced the formation of heritage tourism policy, agro tourism policy, nautical cruise tourism policy, and caravan tourism. These policies are aimed at giving a major boost to the tourism industry, which is one of the largest contributors to the State economy and employment generator.
In the year 2022-23, Goa received 70,18,945 domestic and 1,69,005 foreign tourists, confirming a revival in the State’s tourism sector. The Minister stated that currently, all the hotels are booked with domestic tourists. “But more than figures, it is quality over quantity,” he commented, emphasizing the focus on enhancing the overall tourist experience.
Regarding transportation infrastructure, Khaunte mentioned the need to take advantage of Mopa airport without disturbing Dabolim Airport. The government is making efforts to start international connectivity to destinations where direct links are yet to be established. “We have tied up with 22 domestic destinations in tier II and tier III cities which never had direct connectivity. International connectivity is still a challenge,” he said.