TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar said that the government had spent Rs 14 crore for promotional activities in the past two years. But as a result of the various promotional tours and road shows, the overall tourism numbers had increased by 12.5% while the number of foreign tourists had increased by 10%. He was replying to a starred question by Congress MLA Reginaldo Lourenco on the number of foreign trips undertaken by the Tourism minister, secretary and other officials from the department from March 1, 2012 till date.
Justifying the increased amounts, he said that the reasons for the increase were increased dollar rates as well as larger stalls for the various marts.
Weathering a concerted attack by Lourenco and Independent MLA Vijai Sardessai, the minister said that the main objective was to participate in international exhibitions in order to market the State and promote Goa as a tourist destination in order to increase the inflow of foreign tourists to the State.
Parulekar told the House that till June this year 3.5 million tourists had come to Goa and in 2011 the number of charters were 625 while today it is 1,100 plus.
“Today’s dollar rate has gone up to Rs 64; at that time it was Rs 45. Overall tourists have gone up by 12.5% while foreign tourists have gone up by 10%,” he said. “Earlier we used to take 18 sq mts for a stall now we take 60 sq mts.”
These trips had created a huge controversy and the government had taken a lot of flak over its allegedly excessive expenditure with even the CAG pointing out that amounts were spent with no discernible results.
However, the government had backed its Tourism minister to the hilt with the Chief Minister coming on record saying that trips are justified provided there is some tangible result and all procedures followed.
