Tourism dept spent Rs 25cr to lure domestic travellers to Goa

Porvorim: Goa’s tourism department spent Rs 26.3 crore to promote Goa internationally through roadshows and international travel expos since 2022, tourism minister Rohan Khaunte told the legislative assembly on Thursday. The tourism department’s data suggests that a nearly similar amount — Rs 24.9 crore — was spent to promote Goa in India itself during the same period.The department’s expenditure on international roadshows and trade events jumped from Rs 1.3 crore in 2020 to Rs 10.9 crore in 2024, not including travel allowance and other expenses for the officials who attended the events. The visits were approved by chief minister Pramod Sawant, said Khaunte.Data shows that the department spent Rs 24.9 crore on 31 roadshows organised by it and Goa Tourism Development Corporation from March 2022.Between Jan and June, Goa recorded a total of 57.1 lakh tourist arrivals, with domestic tourists pegged at 34.6 lakh through Goa International Airport at Dabolim and 22.5 lakh through Manohar International Airport at Mopa. In contrast, international arrivals stood at 3.2 lakh.Khaunte said that the “targeted international roadshows” aim to tap into emerging markets such as Poland, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, which previously had limited or no direct tourism linkage with the state. The minister said that international tourist arrivals and international flights increased because of the department’s sustained global destination promotion.The opposition has repeatedly attacked the tourism department for wasteful expenditure on roadshows, both in domestic markets and at international travel marts. The tourism department has been visiting Germany, Spain, Dubai, Singapore, London, Austria, Japan, and Portugal to attract international tourists to Goa.Khaunte said that the state has asked govt to offer the visa-on-arrival facility to select countries.