Planning another vacation? Then Goa should be your choice.
Tourists now get the option to choose from cost-effective attractive packages, Goa tourism department officials said here on Saturday. All these are part of the monsoon tourism package during the period June to September, when the South West Monsoon sets in.
Tourism in Goa developed with the rise of the ‘hippie culture’ in the region. After Goa was liberated from the Portuguese, tourists started coming in by the 60s and 70s. Anjuna Beach in North Goa turned out to be a tourist spot after the hippies set up their trade there. This led to the rise of flea markets in the region.
“One third of Goans directly or indirectly benefited from tourism,” said Nikhil Desai, Director of Goa Tourism. “From November to February, the region attracts foreign tourists and from March to May, the region is thronged by domestic tourists. We are trying to promote monsoon tourism which falls between June to September,” he said.
In order to promote the initiative, the Goa Tourism department has organised cultural festivals in different parts of the country, aimed at covering at least eight States, besides road shows on monsoon tourism.
“The 105-km coastline is a good destination for adventure, pilgrimage, eco-tourism, hinterland, heritage and wellness tourism. The Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) has 600 rooms across the State and a total number of 28,000 rooms owned by private players. As a precautionary measure, along the coastline, we have 500 trained life guards appointed along the entire coastline,” he added.
Speaking to City Express, Nikhil Desai said, “India will become an attractive destination for foreign tourists, since it has the ability to compete with other destinations like Thailand. India earns nearly $17 billion from foreign exchange earnings, of which $1.6 billion is contributed by Goa.”
“We framed our tourism policy in 2001. We are planning to have a new tourism policy probably by this year, aiming to attract high end tourists through excellent entertainment facilities,” he added. Dilip Parulekar, the Tourism Minister of Goa said, “Goa is beautiful during monsoon. We welcome tourists from Tamil Nadu to come and experience Goa’s greenery and beaches. GTDC has special lucrative offers for tourists during this season, which would provide an opportunity for them to know about Goan culture.”
The GTDC has various tourism packages at different rates such as — Honeymoon Package for `12,800 and Coastal Delight package (valid till the end of September) for `19,000.
For more details visit www.goa-tourism.com.