Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goa Tourism Minister Rohan A. Khaunte on Wednesday announced that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved the activation of the Fast Track Immigration – Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP) for Goa, a move expected to significantly improve immigration clearance at the state’s airports and strengthen Goa’s tourism competitiveness.
Khaunte said the approval followed his meeting with the Union Home Minister in New Delhi, where he highlighted Goa’s growing tourism potential and the need to enhance the travel experience for passengers through faster immigration procedures.
The FTI-TTP enables registered travellers to complete immigration formalities through biometric-enabled e-gates in less than 30 seconds, reducing waiting time and eliminating manual processing. The minister said the initiative would particularly benefit Goans, including the diaspora, seafarers, students and professionals travelling abroad, while making Goa a preferred entry and exit point for domestic and international travellers.
Khaunte thanked Amit Shah for approving the proposal, describing the initiative as a major step towards enhancing passenger convenience and boosting Goa’s tourism economy. He added that the programme would also position Goa favourably when it is extended to foreign nationals in the next phase.
During the meeting, Khaunte also submitted several proposals to the Centre, including extending Visa-on-Arrival facilities to Goa, sharing anonymised Bureau of Immigration arrival data for tourism planning, and introducing a Digital Nomad Visa to promote Goa as a long-term workation destination. According to the minister, the Union Home Minister assured that these proposals would be examined.
Separately, Khaunte met Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to discuss measures to strengthen Goa’s domestic and international air connectivity. The discussions focused on increasing international scheduled flights, improving bilateral air service arrangements, deploying more wide-body aircraft, enhancing connectivity from Tier-II and Tier-III cities, and prioritising Goa in airline network planning.
The meeting also reviewed tourism infrastructure projects being implemented with Central assistance, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Digital Museum at Ponda, Porvorim Town Square, Swadesh Darshan Coastal Circuit projects and the Porvorim–Pomburpa–Harvalem Rural Tourism Circuit.
Khaunte further proposed support for developing a plug-and-play concert ecosystem, expanding cruise tourism through Mormugao Port and creating new tourism infrastructure aimed at generating employment and strengthening local communities.
According to the minister, Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat assured continued support for Goa’s tourism sector and appreciated the state’s initiatives in airline incentives, homestay promotion and destination diversification.
