Goa’s tourism industry is losing out to Sri lanka and Thailand due to the tough visa norms which seem to deter the tourists, the State Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar has said in the State legislative Assembly.
Speaking during the question hour, Parulekar while defending the gradual decrease in Goa’s tourist arrivals, blamed the Central Government’s regulated tourist visa norms. Despite several awards, the State stands at a dismal 11th in the country when it comes to tourism arrivals. “Issue of tourist visas in some East European countries and other key source markets for Goa is lengthy as compared to competing destinations like Thailand, Sri lanka, etc,” Parulekar informed during the Winter Session of the State legislative Assembly.
There has been a marginal increase in foreign tourist arrivals over the last three years. While in 2010, the State received 4,41,053 foreign tourists, the figure scaled marginally to 4,45,935 in 2011 and for the year 2012, the number rose by a mere 4,595. He also said that the European economic recession is also to be blamed for the decline.
“Economic recession in Europe has led to the cancellation of holidays and travel plans,” Parulekar said. The Tourism Minister also cited that high accomodation tariffs here in Goa, increase in royalty imposed by the Airports Authority of India on chartered aircraft, also add up as a deterrent leading to the cancellation of charter flights, hotel reservations, etc.
He also pitched for ‘visa on arrival’ facility in a bid to further incentivise the market. . “The State Government has undertaken aggressive measures to advertise and promote the State as an ideal tourist spot in India and abroad,” Parulekar said.
“The tourism department also intends to intensify its publicity campaign through various modes of electronic and other media abroad and in India so as to attract the attention of the upper-class tourists,” Parulekar said.