Visa-on-arrival facility will help 15% tourism growth
PTI, PANAJI | 28 November 2014 17:01 IST
The Centre has extended the visa-on-arrival facility at the Goa airport for tourists from 43 countries, which is expected to bring in 15 percent growth in tourism during the ongoing season.
Goa's Dabolim airport is among one of the nine places that has extended this facility, which will further improve the prospects of its tourism growth, state tourism minister Dilip Parulekar told reporters here on Thursday.
The cities where VoA (visa-on-arrival) will be issued include Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
The countries included in the list are - Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Djibouti, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Luxembourg, Marshal Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, UAE, Ukraine, USA, Vanuatu and Vietnam, he said.
The single-entry tourist visa will be valid for 30 days, the minister said.
The state government had been pursuing the issue of VoA and e-visa with the Central government for over two years, he said.
"We are very happy to announce that the facilities have finally been launched and extended to 43 countries effectively from on Thursday," Parulekar said.
"This facility will enable tourists from the 43 countries enlisted for the benefit to apply and procure the visa within 96 hours with a validity of 30 days, which is extendable subject to approval from the respective embassies," he said.
He mooted the need for aggressive marketing in these countries in order to ensure that travel agencies and tourists are made aware of the facility and to encourage foreign visitors to avail it.
Goa tourism department is confident that the launch of VoA will increase foreign tourist arrivals from 12 to 15 per cent annually.
"Within the next four years, we could see the arrivals doubling from five lakh to one million," Parulekar said.
Drop a comment
Latest News
- भोवभाशीक ‘कोंकणी’ लेखक प्रो एडवर्ड दे लिमा गेलो
- तरनाट्यांचो ‘मार्ग’दर्शी गुरुनाथबाब केळेकार गेलो
- Biswajit Personality of the Year of IFFI 20
- IIT SCRAPPED, IS THE ISSUE SOLVED?
- Shripad Naik critical in car accident, wife & PS dies, at Hillur, Ankola
- Prez urged to highlight Nehru’s brave role in liberating Goa
- Nov. Covid toll: No deaths in 2 talukas, No. declines, but Goa not out of death trap
- Goa eagerly awaits for the day with no Covid death, two in the 30s die this week
- Covid death proportion not declining among 40-80 age group
- ‘Chovoth’ outbreak subsiding, will it be a repeat show during Navratri & Diwali?
Tourism
- Shifting all casinos on-shore in 3 years; Goans to be debarred: Parrikar
- Throw out Lamanis to protect Goenkarponn: Babu
- Shack owners threaten to show black flags to PM
- Cabral shifts hot air baloon to his constituency in South Goa
- Russians voted from Goa for Parliamentary poll
- Sunburn to shift from Goa to Mumbai or Delhi?
- Goa to find legal course to debar foreigners from running business
- Not Goa, TN is favourite destination of foreigners
- Ravi seeks ban on Nigerians, calls them Negroes
- Kejri makes BJP leaders fight over drug trade of Goa
