PANAJI
As geopolitical tensions cast a shadow over international mobility and Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to defer overseas trips, the Goa Tourism Department is quietly recalibrating its global outreach strategy, preparing to swap exhibition halls and convention centres for screens, billboards and virtual campaigns if the uncertainty extends in the months ahead.
The State’s tourism calendar, usually anchored by a string of overseas travel marts between October and March, is now under review, with officials weighing whether physical participation in international tourism expos will remain viable if the present climate persists.
Reliable sources told The Goan that the department has begun crafting a fallback blueprint centred on aggressive digital visibility across overseas markets.
“We will go for digital marketing, promoting Goa across various international markets and travel platforms. This will include billboards and other promotional methods to ensure our presence remains visible,” the official source said.
“Right now, the major roadshows and tourism marts are still some months away. A final decision will be taken closer to those dates, depending on how the global situation evolves,” the source added.
The rethink follows disruptions already beginning to ripple through the tourism promotion circuit. The Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, scheduled from April 28 to May 1 this year, was cancelled by authorities in the United Arab Emirates amid the prevailing international crisis.
Participation in ITB Shanghai, one of Asia’s major travel exhibitions slated for May 27 to 29, also remains uncertain, with Goa Tourism yet to take a final call on attending the event along with industry stakeholders. The Travel and Tourism Association of Goa has confirmed it would not participate.
Officials said the last overseas engagement attended by Goa Tourism before the present uncertainty intensified was KITF in Almaty, Kazakhstan, held in April.
But while overseas engagements remain in limbo, the domestic circuit continues uninterrupted. Goa Tourism is expected to participate in the Travel and Tourism Fair in Kolkata in July. “We will focus more on domestic tourism,” the official added.
The contingency planning gained momentum after Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte recently convened a high-level meeting with hoteliers, airport officials, charter operators, travel agencies and tourism associations to assess emerging tourism trends and chart the industry’s response to global instability.
Behind closed doors, officials are also discussing a broader market diversification exercise that would see Goa courting travellers from countries beyond its traditional source markets.
“We will tap countries that are unaffected or less affected by the conflict situation. We are also looking at destinations considered cheaper than Goa... Instead of Indian travellers choosing those countries because they are economical, why can’t citizens from those nations come and experience Goa?” the official said.
