Dubai, May 07: Goa will press the Centre to introduce visa-on-arrival scheme for foreign tourists in order to achieve a quantum leap in tourist arrivals currently stagnating at less than 2.5 million a year. The Goan minister for tourism Francesco Xavier Pacedo said Goa, together with other states, will try to persuade the Central government to introduce visa-on-arrival for foreign tourists without compromising on security concerns.
He told a travel operators meeting that visa-on-arrival will help increase the tourist arrivals at least three times to more than seven million.
Travel trade which has come together here to take part in the tenth Arabian travel market (ATM), the premier travel show in the region, notes that Indians are given visa-on-arrival in countries like Oman and Sri Lanka to promote tourism.
The minister said as lack of direct flights to Goa has hampered the growth of tourism, his government was in talks with Emirates and Air India to start direct flights from Dubai to Goa. Currently on Indian Airlines flies direct from Sharjah to Goa.
He said Goa would soon open its tourist office in the Gulf, preferably in Dubai, so as to have own booking counter for attracting tourists from the region.
N Suryanarayana, director Goa Tourism pointed out that only about 85,000 tourists from the Gulf and Middle East came to India last year which was well below potential.
He said so far this year 355 chartered flights had operated to Goa and the state was expecting more than 600 chartered flights for the whole year. Bureau Report