Goa Tourism Meet II - Summer time in Goa

The second edition of the Goa Tourism Meet in Panjim for the travel and hospitality industry delved on a cohesive strategy to establish Goa as a 365 days destination, with a special emphasis on the state as a summertime holiday destination. Neeti Mehra, reports on the deliberations and how Goa can go the whole hog to lure in tourists to this picturesque locale

Goa played the perfect host for the two-day tourism and hospitality summit held on March 11 and March 12, 2006. The theme of the summit, part of the second edition of the Goa Tourism Meet which also included an exhibition, was 'Summertime in Goa.'

Organised jointly by the Goa Chambers of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), the state tourism department and various business houses, the event was used as a platform to discuss pertinent issues in promoting Goa as a tourist destination during the non-peak season of April-October. An effort was made to study Goa beyond the beaches, to increase the portfolio of offerings and attract a wider bracket of tourists. Cashew Mahotsav, an exhibition-cum-seminar where experts guided farmers about methods to increase yield was held alongside the tourism and hospitality meet.

Present at the inaugural ceremony and discussions the next day were eminent hoteliers, representatives of the state tourism department and few travel agents and tour operators. Throwing open the summit was Rajeev Talwar, additional director general, ministry of tourism, Government of India, who pointed out that 'brand' Goa has scored high in terms of visibility and that private sector-led investments in tourism infrastructure with government as a facilitator, will drive growth and ensure sustainable development of Goa Tourism. "A positive approach and attitude must be attuned to derive maximum benefit to the state from tourism," he added. Also present at the inaugural ceremony were S P Singh, regional director, India tourism, Manguirish N Pai Raiker, honorary treasurer, GCCI, and Walter D'Souza, chairman, Cashew Export Promotion Council.

Speaking at the inauguration, Sandip J Jacques, director, department of tourism, government of Goa, explained, "For Goa we are looking at something beyond the beaches, which is the USP of the peak season. We already have the products, but just need to repackage and market them." He also pointed out the need to upgrade the quality of infrastructure, working with the government and looking at private and public participation.

Ralph De Souza, the chairman of the tourism committee of GCCI, in his address said, "Goa has been branded as a long haul winter destination, but in the summer and the monsoons, the inflow slows down, and this summit is being held to highlight the options available." The past directors of Goa Tourism were also felicitated at the inauguration ceremony and a calendar of events from April to October 2006 was unveiled at the conclusion of the ceremony. In true Goan tradition and spirit the evening's proceedings culminated with an entertainment programme comprising of folk dances, ballets and Broadway and a networking dinner at the Cidade De Goa.

The second day of the meet was replete with back to back academic sessions with deliberations on critical issues facing Goa's tourism and hospitality industry. Colourful presentations and heated discussions dominated the day.

Incredible 'Eco-tourism centric' Goa

The morning session, chaired by M S Dayanand, department of management studies, Goa University, began with a talk on a bigger role of 'Eco-tourism, Wildlife Sanctuaries & Hinterland Tourism' by C A Reddy, conservator of forests (Wildlife and Eco Tourism) as a route to diversify the Goa portfolio, which was followed by a presentation on 'Incredible India Campaign- Goa's position' by Rajeev Talwar. This topic, which witnessed a vociferous debate on the positioning the state should adopt to further its tourism ambitions, touched upon two relevant, if somewhat diverse topics. Reddy spoke about developing a broad based tourism product, including hinterland and rural tourism, and how the guidelines for the same should be developed by working in tandem with the government. He pointed out developing areas such as Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park, CotiGao Wildlife sanctuary, etc. as feasible models.

Talwar, while exhorting to exploit the potential of established brand Goa, spoke on improving the budgetary allocation for tourism, a flexible policy on charter flights, the privatisation and development of Goa airports, developing rail tourism and pushing a product such as Deccan Odyssey, and cruise tourism. "It is essential to leverage and build upon what you already have, and the need of the day is to add value, an experience and a spin to Goa to develop it as a unique and a distinctive international destination," he said. He suggested working on a strong regional brand strategy, in addition to the umbrella branding strategy of Incredible India, and asked for their pro-activeness, such as formulating the tourism advisory board for a stronger position in the campaign.

Goa beyond charters: New markets

The second business session, before the summit broke for lunch, dwelled on the possibilities of opening avenues to attract a new segment of tourists during the lean season, the focus being to move beyond charter tourists in the peak season and transform Goa into a year-round tourism destination. The first topic discussed was 'Goa beyond Charters' by Lenny Menezes, country manager India, Hilton International,, and the second was 'Emerging markets for Goa' by Jamshed Daboo, COO, leisure hotels division, Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces.

Menezes spoke about the bullish growth of tourism in the industry and the world having woken up to India. "The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has predicted India to be the second highest growing tourist destination in the world and Goa, one of the most exciting destinations in the whole world. With three new airlines connecting the state to all the metros and 19 flights a day, we should shift from charters and recognise the latent potential of the burgeoning domestic market, and the state should capitalise on this," he said.

Daboo exhorted the gathering to offer ‘wholesome tourism’, keeping beaches as the core attraction, but simultaneously integrating other activities such as spa tourism, urban tourism, golf tourism, cultural tourism, etc. "We need one exciting hook to lure travellers in, which are the beaches. Now it is time to create an offshoot itinerary with diverse options for a traveller, and have both the government and hotels working together to subsidise it," he explained.

S P Singh, moderator of the session, said that a gradual change imbibing the suggestions would bear fruition.

LCCs: Protecting and promoting the other face of Goa

The last academic session covered the impact of LCCs on expanding the base of tourists with the topic 'Budget Airlines and Tourism' by Indranil Ray, senior general manager - sales, GoAir and 'Goa other than Beaches' by L C Navelkar, general manager, GTDC.

Ray said that the advent of LCCs, has opened up Goa to newer market segments and would lead to a boost of traffic to the state, especially in the low season. This, with summertime and monsoon packages dovetailed with accommodation and competitive airfares will lead to an increase in domestic tourist traffic.

Navelkar’s talk covered aspects like river cruises, Goa by night, museums, other tours in which he advocated highlighting of existing tourist spots using other methods other than the traditional approach of day tours. He spoke about the proactive measures that GTDC was adopting in the fields of eco-tourism, rural tourism, and in promoting festivals and cultural activities of Goa.

The concluding topic of the day was a call to preserve the state's original architecture and heritage, 'Goa's Heritage, Village and Monuments,' a colourful presentation made by architect, Rajeev D'silva. It covered ways and means to preserve Goa's heritage structures, and developing a structured approach to protect them. D'silva highlighted the necessity of protecting Goa's monuments like the Portuguese did by instilling a sense of pride for their heritage and culture, and this would drive a conservation movement. Gour Kanjilal, former regional director, tourism, wrapped up this session as a moderator, and linked the three on creating a model to stimulate demand within the region.

With a strategy in place, the summit concluded on a note of optimism. It is only a matter of channelling the resources and efforts in the right direction to take the brand 'Goa' to an all year-round destination.