Yuri Alemao, Leader of opposition, Goa Legislative Assembly, said, “I will vociferously raise concerns of tourism stakeholders in Assembly session.” He assured the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) that he will speak against the various deviations in the proposed Bill from the Tourism Policy 2020, which ignores the role of local tourism stakeholders.
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Expressing their dismay against the proposal of 2 per cent sustainability fee, TTAG wrote to Goa’s Tourism Department stating, “Imposition of 2 per cent levy on every invoice will adversely affect our competitiveness and the compliance burden will increase. No other tourism destination in India’s inbound market levies such a fee.”
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Goa government and TTAG have urged the Centre to extend e-visas facility to UK travellers. If e-visas are not issued to Britishers in the coming tourist season, the trade fears fewer British visitors will visit Goa. The UK has been excluded from the list of nations that are eligible for e-visas. “We are expecting some positive news in the next 15 to 20 days,” Nilesh Shah, President Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG).
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Nilesh Shah, President, Travel & Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), reveals that international charters – the main artery for travel business in Goa – restarted from December 2021 from Russia and Ukraine. “From Moscow we are welcoming almost 500 passengers every ten days and we expect this to increase. However, the charters from Ukraine have paused for the time being due to the third wave and the civil unrest there. Moreover, TUI was to send four flights per week from the UK – two from Manchester and two from Gatwick. This unfortunately got cancelled because of the third wave. They were to start from January 20, 2022. But we remain hopeful and with the new private airport in Mopa which will be operational by the next season, I think the charter movement will see a boom as there will be no restrictions,” he shares.
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Travel & Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), Managing Committee met Shripad Yesso Naik, Hon. Minister of State for Tourism & Shipping, in Goa. The team wished him for his new assignment. Also, they gave him a Memorandum with few requests, which will help in reviving tourism economy in Goa.
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Pramod Sawant, CM, Goa, has informed the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) that the state’s hospitality sector would open fully only after the positivity rate drops below 5%. Tourism activities will not be reopened in Goa until everybody in the state gets at least one dose of the vaccine, he said. The CM added that the administration is aiming to achieve this goal by 31 July. “The government will permit full-fledged opening of the industry when the case positivity rate is below 5%.”
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Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), with probability of hotels not being able to reopen for two to three months more in the state, have asked for Rs. 5,000 to 6,000 as subsistence allowance for 1.4 lakh people directly employed in hotels and tour companies. “It won’t suffice to meet their needs, but at least it will be of some help,” said Nilesh Shah, President, TTAG.
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The Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), has suggested to the Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister of the state, to allow chartered flights in the state from ‘safe destinations’ under an ‘air bubble’ agreement to boost tourism. In a memorandum, they have suggested to form travel bubbles with Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, other CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries, the UK, Poland and Finland for commercial flights.
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The Goa government yesterday approved the long-awaited Goa Tourism Policy 2020, with a vision to make the state the “most preferred destination around the year for high-spending tourists” by 2024. Commenting on the new tourism policy that Goa has approved, Nilesh Shah, President, Travel & Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), says, “We welcome the new tourism policy which was a long-standing demand. But we are not happy with the way it is being implemented and it is not as per our inputs and discussions. The new policy is not what was initially visualised by Manohar Parrikar which was to leave the growth of the tourism industry in the hands of the private sector. The tourism board was to have five members from the private sector and five from the government. But I see that three members have been added to the government side and another three are to be appointed by the government from the industry. As a result, the Board now constitutes of 12 members from or by the government and only 5 to be appointed by the industry.” He added that the tourism board will not be industry-driven as was originally planned and its CEO will be appointed by the government and not from outside as was requested.
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Speaking on charter flights, Nilesh Shah, President, Travel & Tourism Association of Goa, says, “We request the government to allow international charter flights into India from October-end which is when the season starts from key markets such as the UK, Germany, Russia and Scandinavian countries. If the state government is serious about restarting tourism, then it has take such bold steps.”
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