Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa will receive its first domestic tourist chartered flight on October 24 at the beginning of the next tourist season, Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar announced on Friday.
“The first chartered flight which will fly domestic tourists from Surat (Gujarat) to Goa and will arrive on October 24, the eve of Diwali,” Parulekar told reporters.
This will be the first time a chartered flight will carry domestic tourists, as against the practice of having chartered foreign aircrafts arriving in Goa, he added. The minister said the State has been a great attraction for tourists from Gujarat.
“We are providing them this facility wherein they will be offered a package including their flight, three days and night stay in the hotel and pickup and drop facility at the airports (Gujarat and Goa),” the tour operator said.
The department has already begun spreading word amongst travel agents and there has been a good response, Parulekar said. He said similar flights can be planned more frequently, if the response is good.
Parulekar said that the travel company is planning a chartered flight thrice a week but it will be only after gauging the response. He said more cities from Gujarat will be connected to the project.
