PANAJI
Suneel Anchipaka (IAS) Director of Tourism highlighted ways in which ecotourism can be sustainably carried out by presenting the Goa Tourism Development Corporation’s master plan. “The focus is on sustainable and responsible quality tourism to empower local communities by creating employment opportunities as per Goa’s G20 declaration. The key theme is ‘Goa Beyond Beaches’ under which we have launched the Homestay policy and also introduced a Caravan policy to promote experiential tourism,” said Anchipaka who was giving keynote address at a curtain-raiser event organised by Echoes of Earth which provides a platform to raise widespread awareness about eco-sensitivity. Aligning with Goa’s environmentally conscious ethos and backed by the Goa Tourism Board, this event, held at the Panaji, highlighted the ecological importance of the Western Ghats and the State of Goa. As part of the awareness initiative, there are a host of events conducted by experts in the field of conservation planned over the next few weeks which include a ‘Seaweed Walk’, ‘Mangrove Walk and Nature Journaling’ and ‘Beekeeping Educational Workshop’ etc.
