New Delhi: The Department of Tourism Goa hosted a travel trade delegation from Almaty as part of a familiarisation visit aimed at strengthening tourism cooperation and showcasing the state as a leading international destination.
The delegation was welcomed at Paryatan Bhavan in Panaji and will explore several attractions across the state to experience Goa’s diverse tourism offerings. The visit was facilitated by Ernest Dias, who coordinated the initiative to give international travel partners a firsthand experience of the destination.
Senior tourism officials present during the visit included Kedar Naik, Jayesh Kankonkar and Gavin Dias along with other representatives from the tourism department and industry stakeholders.
Tourism Minister Rohan A. Khaunte highlighted that strengthening engagement with emerging international markets remains a key priority for the state. He noted that Kazakhstan presents strong potential for tourism growth and that familiarisation visits allow travel partners to better understand Goa’s offerings and promote them effectively to travellers in their regions.
Officials said the initiative helps travel trade representatives gain deeper insights into the destination by experiencing its attractions directly. This enables them to design travel packages and promote Goa more effectively among international visitors.
During the programme, representatives of the Goa Tourism Development Corporation delivered a detailed presentation outlining Goa’s varied tourism experiences. The session highlighted the state’s cultural heritage, festivals, wellness tourism, spiritual retreats, adventure activities, culinary traditions and premium hospitality sector.
The presentation also focused on the state’s “Goa Beyond Beaches” initiative, which promotes lesser known destinations and experiential tourism across the region.
As part of their itinerary, the delegation will visit heritage sites, spice plantations and other cultural and experiential attractions across the state. The initiative forms part of Goa’s broader strategy to expand its international outreach and strengthen partnerships with global travel trade networks in emerging tourism markets.
