TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Goa government will, on Tuesday, appeal to the Union Ministry for Tourism, for a bigger share in its India Abroad Tourism Promotion and more funds for infrastructure development, during a meeting with Union Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi.
Chiranjeevi is meeting all state tourism ministers in the national capital as part of the larger strategy for tourism development and a cohesive tourism promotion plan of the country abroad.
The Goa Tourism Ministry has deemed this meeting as very important for the state where it will place before the central ministry a plethora of plans and proposals to boost Goa tourism. According to officials in the Tourism Department, Goa has at least five major proposals that government officials will place before the Union ministry.
The first is for increasing facilities at the new Dabolim airport terminal where arrangements are being made for visa on arrivals, an exercise that is due to commence in the forthcoming season. Goa is also going to impress strongly the need to increasing the number of countries in the visa on arrival list.
“We will insist on including Russia and Germany on the list,” said a top department official.
Presently the VoA will be granted for tourists from Japan, Finland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia.
The Goa Tourism Ministry will also seek a reduction or rationalisation of fees for issue of visas, a demand which has time and again come from tourism stakeholders in the State.
In addition, Goa will seek a bigger mandate from the centre in its India Abroad promotion.
Goa will also impress on the Centre to allow it to place before centrally-appointed consultants, the state’s specific needs rather than having non-relevant projects thrust on it, even if it means modification of centrally-funded schemes.
