Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji (MS)

Panaji, Oct 9: The decision of MHA (Union ministry of home affairs) of granting tourist visas to foreigners visiting Indian in chartered flights from October 15 has brought new lease of life to the tourism industry of the state which was struggling after the onset of Covid.

Goa is the biggest contributor to India’s charter business with nearly 92% of it coming from around two to two and a half lac tourists that the state receives every year.

Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) had tried hard for the past one and a half year to allow chartered flights to be landed in the state with special permission. In fact, the association also submitted a memorandum in this regard to G Kishan Reddy, union tourism minister, who visited the state just two weeks ago.

Welcoming the move of allowing charter flights to land in the country, a jubilant Nilesh Shah, president of TTAG said that this will bring a big relief to all the players of the state in the tourism sector. He also mentioned that around, 2100 small hotels in the state are yet to open after the Covid pandemic hit the country.

Shah also said that they will be eagerly awaiting the guidelines to be followed in handling the foreign tourists and also the process of issuing promised five lac free visas.