PANJIM: Tourism Department on Tuesday launched amphibious vessels, the
first of their kind in the country that can run on land and water. They will be
an added attraction for tourists visiting the State.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar launched the vessels, popularly known
as duck boats, that will give joy rides to people.
Parsekar flagged off the amphibian joy ride service and experienced the
first ride in River Mandovi along with Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar and
other officials. Operations of the duck boat joy rides will begin in November.
Parsekar said the launch of these services will boost tourism. “With
this service, we are optimistic of attracting high-end tourists who travel to
enjoy unique experiences. It is a novel concept in India with the excitement of
touring the State on land and water,” he said.
The amphibian vehicles have been manufactured by Goa-based Amphibious
Design (India) Pvt Ltd and will be used for operations in Goa by Amphibian
Tours Pvt. Ltd.
Parulekar said, “The duck boats have been manufactured in Goa and will
be operated by a Goa-based company. The amphibious rides will be carried out
with two vehicles to begin with and four more will be added in a phased
manner.”
One designated pick-up point at Panjim will cater to tours along two
routes. Each tour will last an hour and there will be six time slots daily for
each vehicle. The maximum capacity of each vehicle is 32 seats.
