Goa needs no brand ambassador: Tourism Minister

Goa does not need any celebrity as its brand ambassador because the state is a tourism brand in itself with worldwide recognition, state Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar said here today.
"We had received proposals from various agencies listing names like Sachin Tendulkar, Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor or Saif Ali Khan, (to make) any one of these names a brand ambassador," Parulekar said.
"We had not invited any proposals. The agencies had submitted them on their own," he clarified.
He said right now, there is no plan to appoint any celebrity as a brand ambassador to promote tourism in the state.

"Goa does not require any brand ambassador as the name of the state is a brand in itself recognised worldwide."
"When we travel abroad, people recognise the name of Goa. Tourists come here for the beauty of the state," he said.
The Tourism Department has already appointed an agency to organise events and promote the state.
According to official figures, Goa attracted 3 million tourists in the last tourism season.