Panaji, Aug 17 (PTI): The Commerce and tourism industries of Goa request Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to allow international chartered flights to the state from October. The industry believes that this could help in the process of recovering from the damage caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) told Sawant that chartered flights from 'safe destinations', which have allowed Indians to travel to their countries on tourist visas and from where international flights are operating, should be allowed to arrive in the coastal state.
The industry bodies, in a representation to the chief minister, said chartered flights carrying tourists from countries like Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan can be allowed to land in Goa from October when the tourism season starts in the state.
While domestic tourists can visit Goa with a COVID-19 negative report or a fully vaccinated certificate, international travellers are not being allowed in the state since the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020 when a nationwide lockdown was imposed and flights from overseas were suspended.
GCCI and TTAG have demanded that the state immediately announce the opening of international tourist charters from October so that foreign operators have time to market and prepare for operations and the upcoming tourism season is not lost.
"Tourism is one of the most adversely affected sectors for the Covid pandemic. The tourism sector employs over 40 million skilled and trained manpower and generates approximately US $29 billion foreign exchange per annum," the representation reads.
The industry bodies have said that with the full closure of international flights and visa's since March 2020, many operators and stakeholders closed offices and are facing severe financial constraints.
"As Goa is one of the leading states for tourism we propose that charter flights be allowed to land in Goa specially from safe destinations who have allowed Indians to travel to their countries on tourist visa and international flights are already operating in between two countries like Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan," they have said.
The representation added that we should reciprocate the same way. As tourists arriving in Goa don't travel to any other state and majority of them spend their time at their respective hotels so it becomes easy to control and monitor them, the bodies have said.
They have said that if by any chance there is any third wave of COVID-19 then an announcement of the cancellation of charter operations can be made by September or October.
The industry bodies have said that special charter tourist package Visa to be worked out which can be issued manually by the local embassies or temporary landing permits can be issued on arrival to tourists, as done in the past.
"The SoPs should be put in place for all international arriving tourists like being fully vaccinated or negative RTPCR COVID-19 test report being done in 72 hours of travel."
The bodies have said that dedicated and reserved beds in hospitals for these passengers in case some passengers are tested positive can also be worked out.
"All hotels, transporters and suppliers have to follow strict SOP's which by now they all are, post-opening of domestic tourism," the representation reads.