Govt to spend over Rs 5cr on 9 trade shows, 5 of them in India

Panaji: The tourism department is preparing plans to spend at least Rs 5.1 crore to promote the state at the national and international level as a safe tourism destination, with Rs 1.6 crore being spent only on stalls at five domestic tourism exhibitions starting with Bharat Parv in Jan. The department claims that participation in trade shows ensures a sustained flow of tourists, but critics have questioned the large sums being spent on such junkets while critical challenges are ignored at the state level.

The tourism department estimated that it will spend Rs 3.5 crore to participate in four international tourism exhibitions: Qatar Travel and Tourism Expo in Nov, ITB, Berlin 2026, KITF, Almati, Kazakhstan, and Arabian Travel Mart, Dubai. The amount does not include the expenditure on travel and accommodation for the delegation that will represent Goa.

Tourism department officials said that the reason for participating in these trade shows is to “aggressively promote and market brand Goa” and enhance Goa’s “visibility and presence” among other countries. The tourism department intends to target international customers from Qatar, Germany, Kazakhstan, and Dubai. Among domestic tourists, most of the travellers hail from Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Telangana, Gujarat, Kerala, and Rajasthan.

The tourism department intends to spend the funds to set up exhibition areas and marketing material for Bharat Parv, Travel and Tourism Fair Bangalore, Travel and Tourism Fair Chennai, GITB Jaipur, and SATTE Delhi. Expenditure on international roadshows increased significantly from Rs 1.3 crore in 2020 to Rs 10.9 crore in 2024, with stakeholders from the tourism industry and the opposition questioning the cost-benefit of such junkets.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a hotelier from Anjuna said that the govt needs to focus on basics such as smooth roads, waste management and cleanliness, and ease of travel, particularly public transport. The dilapidated condition of the roads, the presence of garbage along the coastline, and the conflict with taxi operators undermine all the marketing efforts, said the hotelier.

A delegation from the tourism department just returned from the travel and tourism fair Hyderabad, with tourism director Kedar Naik saying that the interactions with tour operators and travel agents at the two-day event were highly encouraging. Naik hinted at collaborative promotion of tourism across states.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Solar Eclipse 2025, date and visibility!