PANJIM: Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte has attributed low turnout of foreign tourists in the State to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and also the ongoing conflict in West Asia involving Israel.
According to Khaunte, Russia, Ukraine and Israel are the three countries from where the coastal State gets a sizeable number of tourists.
“The crisis in which these counties are involved has shrunk the regular inflow of tourists to Goa,” Khaunte said, on the sidelines of launching of regenerative tourism at Divar, on the occasion of 62nd anniversary of Goa’s liberation.
Stating that the Department of Tourism is taking various measures to overcome the vacuum created by the low tourist turnout, the Minister claimed that the number of tourists that visited Goa last year was higher compared to the previous year. This indicates that domestic tourists are filling the vacuum, he said, adding that it was important to note that international tourists on an average stay in Goa for eight days, while the average stay of domestic tourists is four days. He also expected steady growth in the tourist influx.
According to the Minister, currently tourism contributes to 16 per cent of the State’s GDP and the government is trying to increase it to 20 to 24 per cent within next three years.
“We are committed to making a positive difference in the environment, culture, and communities we interact with, and this is reflected in our support of regenerative tourism in Goa. Our goal in introducing regenerative tourism is to encourage the travel and tourism sector to adopt sustainable practices that benefit both the environment and human population,” he said.
Khaunte said Goa is transitioning from a sea-shore centric tourism model to a more inclusive, people-centric approach. The impact of climate change and democratisation calls for a paradigm shift beyond sustainability towards regenerative tourism.
According to Director of Tourism Suneel Anchipaka, “The key is to develop mutual respect and appreciation between the visitors and the hosts. We are all involved in this project and it is important to have a sense of ownership over and investment in each other and the planet. Our focus is to build communities. We are in advanced talks with entrepreneurs and innovators in the tourism sector to help local women and youth get first-hand experience on becoming commercial partners in this endeavour.”
“The introduction of the new tourism policy in 2020 reflected a commitment to cultural immersion. The emphasis on homestays, run by local families within communities, allows visitors to engage with the authentic culture, lifestyle, and values of the place,” Anchipaka said.
O Heraldo had highlighted the decline in quality tourists staying in the State for a considerable number of days and shelling out money. The stakeholders had appealed to the government to come out with a policy with regards to attracting quality tourists, especially foreigners.
