SATURDAY, 29 AUGUST 2026
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Goa to woo high-end Middle East tourists

PANAJI

Goa is all set to deepen its engagement with the Middle East travellers with focus on high-end visitors, through its high-value experiences rooted in luxury, wellness, culture and sustainability during the upcoming Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025, scheduled from Monday at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

The Goa Tourism pavilion at ATM Dubai will introduce a compelling vision -- one that moves beyond the beaches, and highlights a destination rich in heritage, spiritual depth, backwater adventures, culinary richness, and immersive community-led tourism -- during the four-day event.

In line with this year’s ATM theme -- Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity -- Goa will highlight its expanding air connectivity, a vital enabler in building deeper travel and trade relationships with the Middle East.

Tourism Minister Rohan Khuante said that with direct international flights to Goa from key cities like Dubai and Sharjah the state is fast emerging as a convenient and accessible getaway for Gulf travellers.

A series of B2B meetings, networking sessions, and media interactions are planned to strengthen partnerships with leading travel agents, media outlets, hospitality groups, and investors across the UAE and the wider Middle East.

 “Goa is evolving into a global model for regenerative and community-based tourism. Our participation at ATM Dubai reflects our focus on quality tourism that enriches both visitors and our local communities. We welcome Gulf travellers to explore Goa in new, meaningful ways all year round,” Khaunte said.

Director Tourism Kedar Naik said that the State is witnessing growing interest from the Gulf region, and ATM is an excellent opportunity to strengthen State’s visibility and build long-term relationships.”


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‘Flawed’ Pope Francis medals turn valuable for Goan family

The name Jesus was misspelled as ‘Lesus’, prompting the Vatican to recall the papal medals

MELVYN MISQUITA
Published Apr 28, 2025, 12:31 AM IST
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‘Flawed’ Pope Francis medals turn valuable for Goan family

THE GOAN | PANAJIWe may never have personally met the late Pope Francis and yet, my sister, her husband and I will have a close connect with the pope for a very unusual reason.My sister, Sandra Burby, her husband Nicholas (Nick) of Portsmouth-England, and I currently possess rare medals of the pope, so rare that people in the know believe it to be the first of its kind in 600 years and one that compelled the Vatican to immediately recall the entire batch of medallions.A…

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