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While some continue the struggle to ward off the Covid shockwaves, Indian states– like Goa– are way ahead and reigniting their tourism economy by uplifting the local communities, restructuring its facade as ‘beyond the beach’ destination, investing heavily in infrastructure and looking at partnerships in newer markets. And with the recent hosting of several G20 meetings, including the Tourism Working Group Meeting, the state has also seized the spotlight as an ideal tourism and conferencing destination.
Adding to its list of accomplishments, Goa‘s exceptional journey continued at the ET MICE & Wedding Tourism Summit & Awards. The state was recognised with not just one, but two prestigious awards, winning under two categories including Best MICE Destination of the Year in India and Best Festival Organiser of the Year(Cultural & State Events).
In an exclusive sit-down interview with ETTravelWorld on the sidelines of ET MICE & Wedding Tourism Summit & Awards, Minister for Tourism, IT and Printing & Stationery, Govt of Goa, Rohan Khaunte expressed that the state government is keen on boosting ties with other countries to bring in more direct connectivity to the state, improve bilateral relations while keeping ‘quality over quantity’ at the core of their promotional agendas.
“We are confident that within a year or a year and a half, we will witness significant progress, showcasing a new side of Goa that goes beyond the stereotypical ‘party destination’ image,” Khaunte shared with ETTravelWorld.
Here is the edited excerpt from the interview:
ETTravelWorld (ETTW): The state of Goa recently played host to several G20 meetings, including the Tourism Working Group Meeting. Could you highlight the key takeaways in terms of tourism business for Goa?
Rohan Khaunte: The series of G20 meetings held in Goa, including the Tourism Working Group Meeting, have been highly beneficial for the tourism industry in the state. These meetings, totaling nine in number, have created a favourable environment for the state govt to showcase Goa to international ministers, delegates, and participating countries. In the past, Goa was primarily known as a destination for ‘sun, sand, and sea’. However, with the G20 meetings and our shifted focus, we have taken a significant leap forward in presenting the diverse offerings of our state, including its rich culture, heritage, traditions, and history. The meetings have also provided an opportunity to promote our state with a new tagline and capitalise on the chance to exhibit our improving infrastructure, connectivity, and services.
ETTW: You recently expressed the need for better international connectivity, considering Goa now has two international airports. Could you share details on associations with countries you are engaging with to support this growth?
Rohan Khaunte: Goa’s advantage of having two international airports has been a boon. While one airport had certain restrictions due to its naval status, the opening of a new private airport in Mopa has opened up new opportunities for us. Domestically, we have aligned our efforts with the Prime Minister’s vision of “Dekho Apna Desh,” aiming to connect with tier two cities in India. These direct flight connections were previously unavailable in Goa. We are actively engaging with countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United States of America (USA), Germany, South Korea, to forge agreements that will boost international connectivity. We have approached the central government with our concerns and current barricades, and we are optimistic that suitable resolutions will be reached in this regard.
Additionally, discussions with international airlines regarding seat allocations and establishing direct connections from Goa are ongoing. Our recent participation in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai provided an opportunity to engage with Gulf countries and airlines from the UAE, Oman, and Qatar. The positive response from these stakeholders has encouraged us to further work on the connectivity front. We are continuously learning from other countries and their expectations from Goa, aiming to improve and diversify our tourism offerings.
Apart from air connectivity, we are also exploring nautical tourism opportunities at Mormugao Port, enhancing road infrastructure, and formulating policies to attract investments in various tourism segments such as homestays, caravans, adventure tourism, wellness tourism, and spirituality-based tourism. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive experience to tourists and ensure that they can fulfill their requirements.
These expeditions comprise a diverse group of professionals and tourists from various parts of India, coming together for the journey. Director Tourism, Kashmir said J&K Tourism is actively promoting 75 new trekking routes and efforts are underway to popularise aero adventures to offer a wide range of adventure tourism options.
ETTW: Besides improving connectivity, what other key focus areas have you earmarked for the development of tourism in Goa?
Rohan Khaunte: In addition to connectivity, our primary objective is to ensure that all necessary infrastructure is in place. This includes the availability of a wide range of quality hotels and diverse accommodation options to cater to the needs of different types of tourists. We are working towards increasing the average duration of stay for tourists. To achieve this, we are continuously enhancing our tourism services and introducing new attractions and experiences including the homestay experiences. We are actively exploring adventure tourism opportunities. These offerings, along with the existing options, will create a diverse range of experiences for tourists.
Another focus area is MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) tourism, where we aim to attract major conferences and events to Goa. We have observed that some international organisations and businesses are taking away our market share. Hence, we are working to reverse this trend and position Goa as a preferred MICE destination. Weddings and related events are already gaining popularity in Goa, but we aim to strengthen our position in this segment by competing with international wedding destinations. We also acknowledge that collaboration and partnership are vital for the success of our initiatives.
We are actively engaging with stakeholders from the tourism industry, local communities, and other government bodies to create a unified approach towards promoting and developing tourism in Goa. Our focus is on preserving our cultural heritage, reviving traditional festivals like Sao Jao, Chikal Kalo, and celebrating local traditions. By working together, we can achieve greater outcomes and ensure sustainable growth for the tourism sector in Goa. Things will start improvising this year with the new thoughts coming in and by next year, we expect many more things to move and turn around, luring more tourists to come in.
ETTW: The Goa Roadmap unveiled during the G20 Tourism meeting emphasised “women-led development” as a priority. How is Goa Tourism working towards empowering women and promoting tourism businesses run by women?
Rohan Khaunte: Women empowerment is a priority for us, and we are glad that the Goa Roadmap acknowledges its significance. We strongly believe in providing opportunities for self-sustainability and self-employment for women. To this end, we have taken several steps to support women-led initiatives in the tourism sector. One such initiative is the Homestay policy, which complements our efforts to promote rural tourism and uplift local communities, especially women. Homestays provide tourists with an opportunity to experience the beauty and cultural richness of Goa beyond its beaches.
These homestays are primarily run by women, who not only provide accommodation but also offer a deeper cultural connection, local cuisine, and insights into the community. Through this policy, we aim to support women entrepreneurs in the tourism sector, enabling them to establish and run successful homestays. We have partnered with platforms like Airbnb, which will provide capacity building, skilling, and assistance in meeting the expectations of tourists seeking authentic experiences.
Our focus is not on achieving a specific number of homestays, but rather on promoting rural tourism, community upliftment, and empowering women at the grassroots level. We are confident that within a year or a year and a half, we will witness significant progress in this direction, showcasing a new side of Goa that goes beyond the stereotypical ‘party destination’ image.
ETTW: Could you share some of the post Covid learnings for the state and highlight the key source markets you are targeting?
Rohan Khaunte: Given the fact that we have a population of 1.5 million, 2019 saw Goa receive approximately 8.1 million tourists. This was before the Covid-19 pandemic. Among them, 7.1 million were domestic tourists, and 1.1 million were international tourists. However, post-COVID, we have realised the need to diversify our source markets and reduce our dependence on traditional markets such as the United Kingdom (UK) and Russia. We are now actively exploring emerging markets that exhibit strong growth potential. Our target markets include the UAE, USA, Germany, South Korea, and other key Asian markets. These markets have tourists with high per capita spending, which aligns with our focus on attracting quality tourists.
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