THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
Goa is set to introduce a faster and more seamless immigration process for international travellers after Union Home Minister Amit Shah approved the activation of the Fast Track Immigration- Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP) for the State, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte announced on Wednesday.
The approval came following Khaunte's meetings with Shah and Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in New Delhi, where the leaders discussed measures to strengthen the State's tourism ecosystem through improved connectivity, policy reforms and infrastructure development.
In a statement issued, Khaunte said that the FTI-TTP will enable registered passengers to complete immigration formalities through biometric-enabled automated e-gates in less than 30 seconds, significantly reducing waiting time and eliminating manual immigration checks.
Khaunte said Goa's airports are well positioned to implement the system, which will primarily benefit Indian travellers, including the large Goan diaspora, seafarers, students and professionals travelling abroad. He said the initiative is also expected to encourage more domestic and international passengers to use Goa as their preferred entry and exit point while positioning the State favourably when the programme is expanded to foreign nationals in its next phase.
Calling the initiative a "transformative step", the minister said faster immigration clearance and an improved airport experience would strengthen Goa's position as an international tourism gateway while boosting the State's tourism economy.
During his meeting, Khaunte also proposed extending Visa-on-Arrival facilities to Goa, introducing a Digital Nomad Visa and providing periodic anonymised Bureau of Immigration arrival data to support tourism planning and targeted international marketing.
In discussions with Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Khaunte stressed the need to improve both domestic and international air connectivity by expanding scheduled international services beyond traditional source markets, increasing bilateral air service entitlements, deploying more wide-body aircraft on international routes, enhancing connectivity from Tier-II and Tier-III cities and giving Goa greater priority in airline network planning.
The minister also sought central support for developing a plug-and-play concert ecosystem, expanding cruise tourism through Mormugao Port etc.
