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Russia-Ukraine war: Goa looks to host destination weddings
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SME Times News Bureau | 27 Feb, 2022
With
the Russia-Ukraine military conflict casting a shadow on the prospects
of the tourism industry in Goa, the state may have to tide over the
testing times by hosting destination weddings and business conventions
as a means of survival, president of the All Goa Hotel and Restaurant
Owners Association Gaurish Dhond said on Saturday.
"Fifty
per cent of Goa's GDP comes from the tourism industry. Foreign tourists
and charter flights contribute a very large amount towards the GDP. It
is a win-win situation when you have domestic and foreign tourists
coming in Goa. With this war between Russia versus Ukraine, entire
Europe is getting disturbed. Footfalls from the UK and other European
countries to Goa is expected to drop by almost 50 per cent," Dhond said.
"We
are trying to make it up through domestic tourists. There are many
conventions, private, destination weddings happening in Goa, which is
our survival at the moment. It will take some time before Russians and
Europeans come to Goa. This season will be totally washed away," he also
said.
Goa's tryst with Russian tourists started in 2003, when
the first charter flight, special flights chartered by tour companies
for short-duration tourists) flew in from Russia to the Western Indian
state which is also known as one of best beach tourism destinations in
the country.
Goa's conventional tourist season starts in October
and winds up in March, when the mild winter sun works as a good break
for travellers from Russia, United Kingdom, Germany, Ukraine and other
European countries from the harsh winter. Russians topped the number of
foreign tourists visiting Goa every year, before the advent of the Covid
pandemic. Nearly eight million tourists arrived in Goa ahead of the
pandemic, out of which half a million were foreigners.
State
Tourism director Menino D'Souza also said that the tourism season in Goa
would be affected by the ongoing conflict in Europe.
"Prior to
this war also, charter flights had to be cancelled because of this
disturbance. It will not only impact the tourism trade, but also the
economy too. Russians are the main foreign tourists to come to Goa, if
flights are cancelled, it will definitely impact us," he said.
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