Foreign tourist footfall goes up in Goa

The number of foreign tourists visiting Goa has gone up in last three years, state tourism minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said in the Assembly on Wednesday.

However, the number of those arriving in the coastal state by chartered flights has marginally gone down, he said in a written statement tabled in the House.

"Total 9.33 lakh tourists arrived in Goa last year as compared to 8.9 lakh in 2017 and 6.8 lakh in 2016," he said.

Except for Russia, there has not been any major decrease in chartered flights coming to Goa.

"However, the number of tourists arriving by these chartered flights has reduced marginally," the minister said.

For the tourist season 2017-18, total 2.47 lakh foreign tourists arrived by chartered flights but their number decreased to 2.18 lakh in 2018-19, he informed the House.

Ajgaonkar said the tourism department was making all efforts to attract foreign visitors to Goa.

"However, it is up to the tourists and travel agents to decide the best mode of transportation, whether to travel by chartered flights or other modes," he said.

He said the tourism department has organised various familiarisation (FAM) trips for prominent tour operators and media persons and made efforts to showcase various tourist attractions in the state, known for its picturesque beaches.

The department also organises tourism-related events/roadshows in international and domestic markets.