PANAJI: Over 75 lakh pilgrims from across the globe attended the ongoing exposition of St. Francis Xavier's relics, which is slated to conclude on January 5. The veneration would be allowed till tomorrow, Saturday.
Minister for Law and Judiciary Aleixo Sequeira claimed that the Exposition gave a major boost to the tourism industry, drawing visitors from diverse parts of India and the world, including the UK, USA, UAE, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Canada.
The organizing committee is expecting that the number of visitors may touch 80 lakh by the end of the event.
“There was no target as such, but we worked on an estimate that there would be around 80 lakh visitors,” Sequeira said, emphasizing the organic nature of the turnout.
The minister credited the increased footfall to the Christmas season and related festivities, which brought people from across India and abroad.
“We could foresee that, with the Christmas season and other festivities, people were coming even from abroad, from all over. Everything aligned to take advantage of these factors, and people have come for the exposition,” he explained.
Sequeira highlighted the positive impact of the event on tourism in Goa. “I definitely feel the exposition has helped tourism, to a large extent. People have come from abroad, stayed in hotels, and visited all parts of Goa,” he said, acknowledging the significant boost to local businesses and hospitality sectors.
