Goa not about beaches only, has much more to offer: Tourism official

Kolkata: In a bid to showcase its rich heritage and biodiversity, Goa Tourism has started the 'Goa Beyond Beaches' initiative to attract travellers to various other destinations in the state away from beaches, an official said.

As there is a lot of traffic on the beaches, efforts are on to attract the attention of travellers to the various other destinations from heritage to forest reserves in the state away from the beaches, said senior Goa Tourism department official Deepak Narvekar.

"This concept of Goa beyond beaches is getting increasingly popular and many people visiting the state are going to the interiors," he told PTI at a travel and tourism fair in Kolkata, where Goa Tourism was represented.

Narvekar said the state government is promoting a homestay policy, by which the local people can keep tourists in their homes in beautiful and serene Goan villages with rich heritage.

"Tourists can have traditional Goan food cooked in the homestays, experience the local culture and the traditions there," he said.

The places in the interiors of Goa getting popular with tourists are Canacona, Bicholim, Sattari, etc, Narvekar, deputy general manager (marketing), Goa Tourism Development Corporation, said.

He said the Goa government is providing monetary support of Rs two lakh to those setting up homestays to arrange for infrastructure and furnishing for providing good facilities to tourists.

"Of late, many homestays have come up in Goa and tourists are staying at these places in the villages to experience the rural life of the state," he said.

He said that animal sanctuaries in this western state along the Arabian Sea are also popular among tourists.

"Wildlife safaris for visitors are held at the sanctuaries," he said.

Among the popular wildlife sanctuaries in Goa are Cotigao, Mhadei, Netravali and Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, the official said.

"We get high-end tourists who come for bird watching," he said.

At Cotigao along the Goa-Karnataka border, one can sight flying squirrels, slender loris, Indian pangolin, mouse deer, four-horned antelope, etc, according to Goa Tourism Development Corporation.

Mhadei on the Western Ghats is known for its rich biodiversity and one can see Indian gaur, barking deer, sambar deer, Asian palm civet, small Indian civet, wild boar, etc. The luckier ones may also sight black panther, sloth bear, leopard, tiger and dhole.

He said that more than one crore tourists, both international and domestic, visited Goa in 2023.

He said that the Goa government is also promoting 'Wed in Goa' policy, facilitating weddings on beaches and hotels.

"We have set up a one-window system for facilitating the weddings. Whoever wants to get wedded in Goa has to make one application only and the rest will be facilitated by the tourism department," he said, maintaining that this concept is getting popular. PTI AMR RG