TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The dull tourist season notwithstanding, a team from the Tourism department will travel abroad later this month to promote brand Goa. The department is also planning to advertise different facets of Goa Tourism on the mass transport systems of different countries.
The department will also ‘scientifically study’ tourism markets in different countries to ascertain why there has been a drop in charter flights. The government is also of the opinion that though it may not find it “necessary” to send its own officers for this study, it will rope in some agencies and get journalists as well as social media groups involved.
In the department’s first foreign tour this year, tourism officials will attend the FITUR international tourism trade show in Madrid, Spain from January 28 to February 1. Besides Spain, a tour to Berlin is also on the cards this financial year, despite the austerity measures announced by the Parsekar government on Thursday.
“Our main thrust will be internet-based marketing policy, and advertising through mass transport system,” Director Ameya Abhyankar told Herald. He said, “Like in London, each person spends about 30-40 minutes while travelling to different places using the London Underground. If Goa Tourism’s advertisement display board is put up, it can help further boost footfalls to Goa.”
The department has also contemplated focusing on those countries whose citizens can avail of the tourist Visa on Arrival at Dabolim airport. Over 2,000 foreign tourists, majority of whom were from the United States, were issued VoA since its launch on December 2014.
The facility was launched by the Union Home Ministry on November 27, 2014. Soon after the notification, Dabolim airport started the process of issuing visas from December 4. A total of 43 countries have been extended this facility and Goa is one of the nine airports selected for providing the VoA facility.
Despite various attempts to attract tourists, Goa witnessed a huge slump in arrivals of Russian tourists and those from a few other countries as well. Abhyankar conceded that charter flights from Scandinavia, UK and Germany also dropped this season while not a single charter tourist arrived from The Netherlands.
“While our focus will be countries where VoA facility can be used, we are also planning systematic promotional activities by studying tourism markets for Goa,” the IAS officer added.
This will be in addition to upgrading the department’s website by creating an ‘electronic platform’ to explore Business-to-Business and Business-to-Consumers level avenues.
