'Goa tourism hit hard; govt should reduce promotional junkets'

Noting that the travel and tourism industry has been impacted due to collapse of Russian market and disturbed European economies, the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) has urged the state government to reduce promotional foreign junkets.
In its pre-budget memorandum to Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, the association has asked the state government not to add taxes on the tourism industry just for the sake of marketing.
"There is no need to raise the budgetary expenditure on tourism marketing at the cost of additional taxation on the hospitality industry," TTAG president Fransisco Braganza said in the memorandum.
"It has been a wasteful expenditure with no tangible benefits or increase in foreign tourist arrivals. There is a need to rationalise the marketing expenditure and see that it is result oriented," Braganza said.

The government should reduce the number of foreign junkets, which are undertaken under the pretext of marketing the destination, he said.
"The tourism industry is struggling to keep its head above the water, with rising costs and reducing revenues, on account of the collapse of the Russian market and disturbed European economies," Braganza said.

"This situation is expected to continue for the ensuing season as well. The margins are squeezed and the future looks bleak," he added.
Braganza said there is a need to divert the marketing expenditure from road shows and marketing to markets which are not Goa-centric into incentives per passenger to foreign tour operators, who actually bring foreign tourists like it is being done by competing tourist destinations and is measurable in terms of specific numbers.

Goa government will present its budget in the upcoming session scheduled next month.