Goa govt seeks ‘visa on arrival’ to attract foreign tourists, to write to Centre

The authorities government’s connection pushing for a liberalisation of visa norms comes successful the aftermath of the authorities facing flak implicit the past fewer months aft immoderate viral posts connected societal media claimed that tourism is “down successful the dumps”. The posts had triggered a barrage of disapproval of the state’s tourism infrastructure, with galore claiming that travellers are present progressively ditching Goa for Thailand, Vietnam oregon Sri Lanka, which person eased visa norms.

A authorities official, requesting anonymity, said the connection volition beryllium sent to the Union authorities successful a fewer days.

“Over the past year, we person been requesting the Centre to see allowing visa-on-arrival facilities. We person besides asked for much flights and aerial connectivity. Many overseas tourists who sojourn Goa are incapable to enactment successful the authorities since they are connected a tourer visa. So, we person suggested that a argumentation for specified ‘digital nomads’ beryllium formulated. This volition assistance successful expanding footfall of planetary tourists,” this authoritative said.

Santosh Sangam Divkar, president of Small and Medium Hoteliers Association, said that successful a caller gathering with the authorities tourism department, stakeholders from the manufacture had urged the authorities to propulsion for faster processing of e-visas for overseas tourists.

Rising competition

“Many Southeast Asian countries are present offering visa-on-arrival. If we person to compete, we person to guarantee that overseas tourists are capable to use for visas online. The visas should beryllium processed successful a shorter clip duration and the process should not beryllium cumbersome. This is 1 of the reasons for a diminution successful tourer footfall from abroad,” Divkar said.

The Goa authorities has insisted that “tourism is not a zero-sum game” and blamed societal media influencers for moving a run to defame the authorities successful the past fewer weeks. According to information compiled by the authorities government, a full of 1.04 crore tourists visited Goa successful 2024, higher than the 86.28 lakh tourists successful 2023. A grounds 99.41 lakh home tourists visited Goa successful 2024 compared to 81.75 lakh tourists successful 2023, portion the fig of overseas tourists roseate from 4.52 lakh successful 2023 to 4.67 lakh successful 2024.

According to information from the Ministry of Tourism, successful 2020, erstwhile the pandemic hit, 3.03 lakh overseas tourists visited Goa. In 2021, during the 2nd Covid wave, lone 22,000 overseas tourists visited, portion successful 2022, the fig roseate to 1.75 lakh. The numbers are inactive acold disconnected from the pre-pandemic years erstwhile implicit 9.34 lakh overseas tourists visited Goa successful 2018, followed by a marginal summation to 9.37 lakh successful 2019. Over 70 lakh home tourists visited Goa successful 2022, lone marginally little than successful 2018, erstwhile 70.8 lakh tourists from crossed the state visited the state.

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