Goa eyes ME travellers

In order to expand its visitor base, Goa is actively looking to develop the Middle East market and has started dialogues with major airlines from the Gulf countries to increase air connectivity.

Hazel Jain

Goa’s international tourism industry relies on air connectivity, and the Middle East airlines play a vital role in boosting tourism in the state. The Middle East airlines provide connectivity for tourists not just from the Middle East, but also for the tourists form Europe and other regions also. This creates a significant opportunity for the state’s tourism industry to attract a vast number of visitors from these regions, contributing to the state’s economy.

With this in mind, a delegation led by Rohan Khaunte, Minister for Tourism, Government of Goa, met with senior executive officials from Qatar Airways and Gulf Air recently in Dubai.

Qatar Airways operates daily flights from Goa to Doha, which connects Goa to several other international destinations, making it an attractive destination for tourists worldwide. Similarly, Gulf carriers such as Gulf Air provide seamless connectivity to Goa from other GCC countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Moreover, the collaboration of Qatar Airways and Gulf Airlines with the Goa Tourism Department can promote the state’s tourism offering through various marketing campaigns such as attractive tour packages and discounted airfare.In essence, collaboration with these airlines and the Goa Tourism Department can further boost FTAs in the state and contribute to its economic growth. Sharing his perspective on this, Nilesh Shah, President, Travel & Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), says, “There are direct flights to Goa from Dubai on Air India, from Sharjah on Air Arabia, from Doha on Qatar, Oman from Muscat and Gulf Air from Bahrain. In short, a lot of flights land directly into Goa from the Middle East and it is a great opportunity for us to attract tourist from this market.”