PANJIM: Even as Goa government’s policy on foreign trips is yet to see the light of day, tourism officials are packing their bags to fly for five international events before the current financial year ends.
As per records with Herald, after the four-day long World Travel Mart in London that is currently on, the tourism department has trade fairs and road shows lined up in Chicago (USA), Madrid (Spain), the Netherlands, Berlin (Germany) and Italy.
The list does not stop there. The department is slated to participate in 13 domestic trade fairs at Jaipur, Gujarat, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and other locations.
Sources said that Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar will fly to Chicago to participate in the road show scheduled on November 10, soon after the WTM ends in London on November 6.
Since later this month the State will then be busy hosting VIP guests and lakhs of visitors for the International Film Festival of India, the exposition of the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier and subsequent events, the remaining four foreign tours have been planned between January and March 2015.
FITUR international tourism trade show titled ‘In line with emerging tourism markets’ in Madrid from January 28 to February 1 will be the first foreign tour for the officials in the New Year. Sources said Goa’s participation at the trade show, which claims to showcase the novelties of businesses, institutions and bodies from around the world, has been confirmed. This will be followed by a road show in the Netherlands.
As per the FITUR website, the 35th show organized by IFEMA has a strong international presence with the presentation of numerous projects aimed at energizing tourism operations.
In March, two more foreign trips to Berlin and Italy have been confirmed.
ITB, said to be the leading travel trade show hosted in Berlin, and another road show at Italy will once again see the presence of tourism officials and probably a minister as well. In 2014 a total of 10,644 exhibitors from 187 countries displayed their products and services to 1,74,000 visitors, who included 1,14,000 trade visitors at ITB.
Space to set up their stalls at each of these travel shows has also been fixed. It is not known whether the government has got an approval from the Prime Minister’s Office for the trips, as has been instructed by the Centre.
