Goa and the rest of India continue to be safe tourism destinations for Russian travellers, honorary consul of the Russian Federation in Goa Victor Albuquerque has said, adding that contrary to reports in the section of the media, no travel advisory had been issued against India.
Speaking to The Pioneer Albuquerque also said that barring some “minor irritants”, Goa was a relatively safe place for foreign travellers. “The Consulate confirms that there has been no advisory contrary to what has appeared in the press… I am saying as the honorary consul that Goa is relatively safe. Of course, anything cannot be 100 per cent safe there are a few irritants,” Albuquerque said.
Albuquerque’s formal clarification came on the heels of a controversy on Sunday, after a section of the media allegedly quoting information provided by the Russian Information Centre, said that India and Goa were no longer considered safe destinations by the Russian Government for its tourists.
The Centre subsequently issued a clarification late on Sunday saying its media release had been misquoted. But, the controversy resulted in panic as far as the tourism and travel industry stakeholders are concerned, because an ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict as well as an economic downturn in Russia has already given rise to fears that outbound tourism from that country to Goa could dip this year.
Albuquerque said that Russians were vitals to Goa’s tourism industry, as over the last few years they accounted for nearly sixty per cent of the inbound foreign tourist movement. “Russian account for at least 50 per cent of the entire tourists that are arriving in Goa. Before it was 60 per cent to 70 per cent. In a year or more we will be in a position to achieve larger numbers taking advantage of the global situation,” the honorary consul said.
Tourists from Russia, unlike their counterparts from the United Kingdom were high spenders, he said, providing business to hotels across the range from beach huts to the numerous five-star hotels in the State. “They spend money. They are not so fidgety or the complaining type, like the British,” Albuquerque said.
Russians top the list of foreign tourist arrivals on Goa's beaches followed by tourists from the United Kingdom, but Goa’s tourism and travel industry stakeholders have already predicted a dip in the number of Russian tourists to Goa this tourist season (October to March) due to a slowdown in the Russian economy and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Goa's conventional tourist season starts in October and winds up in March, when the mild winter sun works as a good break for travellers from Russia, United Kingdom, Germany and other European countries from the harsh winter. More than three million tourists visit Goa annually, nearly half a million of which are foreigners.