First foreign chartered flight of season lands in Goa

The first chartered flight from Russia landed in Goa Thursday, marking the beginning of tourist season this year.

The coastal state witnesses maximum footfalls in the period between October to April-May every year.

"The first Chartered flight of Rossiya Airlines with 522 tourists lands in God's own Abode #GOA, marks beginning of new tourist season. Welcome. Your safety is our priority," state Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar tweeted this morning.

Goa, known for its sunny beach stretch, is a major attraction for domestic and foreign tourists.

"We are getting tourists six times that of our population. The number of tourists arriving in Goa is on the rise," said Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) chairman Nilesh Cabral.

He said the government was creating necessary infrastructure to ensure safe and comfortable stay of tourists.

Cabral said the number of chartered flights has gone down this year due to their increased capacity to carry tourists, which is resulting in more arrivals.

Goa had received more than 800 chartered flights last tourist season.