With the continuous decline in the tourism business, especially the foreign tourists which are supposed to be the cream for the Goan Tourism Industry, Goa is now eying at the tourists from China. Lately due to the fall of Thomas Cook the tourist inflow from the UK declined substantially. The Russians which are coming in big number somehow does not bring much revenue into the state and now the new option Goa looking for is the Chinese Market.
According to the sources, Goa gets approximately 4 million tourists per year out of which nearly four lakh is considered to be an international tourist that bring maximum revenue to the state tourism Industry. The English Tourists supposed to be the richest that brings lots of foreign currency into the state while Russians come to Goa for the employment.
According to the reports, In a bid to shore up the falling tourism potential, stake-holders in Goa tourism are looking at China to tide over the slump in the arrival of foreign tourists, and to do that a special six-member delegation from China is scheduled to come down to Goa.
The purpose of the delegation is to prepare content and guide the Goa tourism department and stake-holders on how to promote the coastal state in Chinese markets, which is virgin territory for the state’s tourism industry, said the sources.
According to the TTAG (Travel and Tourism Association of Goa) president Mr Savio Messias, this year Goa has witnessed around 30-40 per cent downfall in the International tourists’ arrivals in Goa. “There are several factors responsible for this phenomenon, and one of them is shutting down of Thomas Cook, UK, which was flying charters in Goa,” he said.
Messias said that China offers a lot of potential for Goa markets.”Chinese usually go around in huge groups and when they come to India, their visit is restricted to places like Agra in North India or Kerala in the South,” he said.
According to Mr Messias, Goa is a fresh market for Chinese tourists. The TTAG chief, who had participated in a Travel Mart at Chengdu city in China, said many Chinese are unaware about Goa.
Mr Messias also pointed out at the most crucial factor that is necessary to acquire the Chinese market and that is the lack of their activities on social media. “Promotions in China are different from the rest of the world. They don’t use Facebook, Google or WhatsApp. We will have to design websites in the Chinese language to reach to them,” he said.
Source: PTI
