Panaji,
May 12 (IANS) — With the inflow of Russian tourists on the decline, at least
for now, India’s best known beach tourism destination Goa is now eyeing
high-spending Chinese tourists.
The
state’s tourism officials are currently hosting a three-day familiarisation
trip for Chinese tourism and travel operators, who are being offered a sample
of Goa’s tourism bounty, namely its beaches, tropical forests and heritage
monuments.
“This
FAM trip will help Goa Tourism in a big way as it will bring high-end tourists
from China and in turn benefit tourism stakeholders in the state,” said Deepak
Narvekar, public relations officer of Goa Tourism Development Corporation
(GTDC). It is the host agency conducting the excursion for the Chinese
visitors.
The
three-day FAM trip, which began on May 9, included visits to Goa’s heritage
sites, beach belt, eco-tourism sites, temples, and also provided an experience
of water sports and a taste of Goan cuisine and culture.
Twelve
delegates from and around the Chinese city of Urumqi are participating in the
visit. Ting Zhang, sales manager for Air Arabia in China, who heads the
delegation said: “Goa has beautiful beaches and its cultural diversity has
enthralled us very much.”
Zhang
also said Air Arabia’s improved connectivity from the city of Urumqi to Goa
could spur tourism arrivals to the beach state.
Urumqi,
once a popular pit-stop along the ancient Silk Route, is the capital of the
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China.
“Urumqi
is an inland major city in the world farthest from any ocean, hence Goa and
beach tourism has found favour with the Chinese delegation,” Narvekar said.
Goa
attracts over three million tourists every year, of whom foreign nationals account
for half a million. Tourism industry stakeholders in the state have, however,
complained about the drop in the inflow of Russian tourists in the 2014-15
season.
The
drop is attributed to several factors, including slowdown in the Russian
economy.
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